Final Fantasy: Fortresses of Hope
by Musical Crow
Summary: With a world falling to the forces of Chaos, six nameless warriors must be awoken in a last ditch effort to stop the end of the world from a greater threat. Heavy AU of an already heavy AU.
1. Awaken, Warriors of Light

The armored man leapt from a ledge and landed with a crouch. He rose to his full height, standing in a dark, cold cave. The sounds of many people in clanking armor moving about echoed through the tunnels. The cacophony of their movements, their voices and the barking of their hounds mingled in the darkness. He narrowed his eyes and scanned his surroundings.

"Lord Garland!" one of his subordinates shouted to him.

"This way!" he shouted in reply, above the sounds of the other soldiers. Then he marched forward, knowing his troops would obediently follow him.

_Just a matter of time, now_, he thought darkly to himself, grinning behind his faceplate.

* * *

><p>She was freezing cold. She was in a bed, in freezing room with clothing far smaller and thinner than she liked.<p>

_Where am I?_ she thought, glancing around the room.

Shuffling over to the side of the bed, she threw her legs over, only to yelp as something cold and wet touched her feet. Jerking them back onto the bed, she peeked over the side of the bed. The floor was cover in about an inch of water.

_That's… strange_, she thought. Looking around, she saw that several stepping stones led from the foot of the bed to a dark hallway. _There we go. I need to get out of here or I'll_ _freeze_.

Crawling over to the foot of the bed and swinging her legs over the side, she pulled up the thick blanket that she was sleeping under, and wrapped it around herself before stepping off onto the stones.

_Still cold_, she thought, _but not as bad_.

After crossing the stones and entering the hallway, she quickly discovered it was a dead end.

_Great_, she thought, sitting in the corner and wrapping the blanket around herself. _I'm in a cold room in my undergarments. I have no idea who or where I am, and I really don't want to freeze to death_.

Then she heard the sound of stone grinding against stone. Looking up, she saw that a stone slab was rising up on the hallway wall opposite her.

_A way out_, _hopefully_, she thought to herself. _Maybe I won't freeze to death_.

* * *

><p><em>I wonder where I am<em>, the man thought, sitting in a chair at a small table, staring at a lamp.

He had awoken in a room lit only by candles on the wall, shadows cast across it. He had already risen out of bed and walked to the hallway, and the wall had slid open for him. He had found the aforementioned table and chair, a shelf with folded clothing, and three hat racks full of… hats. A wooden staff that looked like a tree branch hung on the wall.

He had dressed in the provided clothing, which was a pair of baggy black and gray striped pants, a simple black shirt and (most noticeably) a long black coat made of thick cloth with an animal skin belt. He had a high-collared black mantle, a pair of light colored animal skin gloves, similar shoes and a side pouch.

Of the hats, most shared the same characteristics: tall (all of them, to varying degrees), pointed (all but one), wide brimmed and very noticeable.

Of them was a tall, straw hat with a very wide brim (which he didn't like); one was a black cloth pointed hat with a leather base and brim (he liked that one a bit more); and one was a black top hat (the only one not pointed).

He decided, however, on a dark one that wasn't so tall or wide. It was made of lighter material and its brim could be pulled down over his eyes.

_I like the top hat_, he thought. _Suppose that would be a bit flashy, though_.

He focused his gaze on the firelight of the lamp. It was transfixing, and a strange feeling washed over him. He raised his hand at the flame, closed his eyes and focused.

_Fire…_ he thought.

"Burn for me, power of Salamander! Fire!" he shouted. A ball of flame shot from his hand, consumed the lamp, struck the wall and dissipated, leaving a scorch mark. The room fell into darkness.

_Fascinating_, he smiled to himself. He raised his hand, focused again and conjured a fireball in his palm, lighting the room again. He heard stone grinding behind him in the hall. He walked towards the wall, grabbed the wooden staff and walked to the hall, finding a new doorway.

_Time to answer some questions_, he thought as he stepped through the door.

* * *

><p>When the man awoke, he was in a room with an open skylight. After getting his wits about him, he tried scaling the walls to the skylight, but found it impossible. Then a room conveniently opened up, containing the clothing he now wore (the green coat and bandana being the only thing that was really interesting) and a set of long daggers. The door out had opened after he finished dressing, and he now found himself in a large room with several passageways.<p>

He stood in what looked to be some kind of foyer or hall, with a water fountain and some statue of a lady. The room, he noticed, was well lit, made almost completely of white marble and had more than enough passages out, in his opinion.

_Right, left, other right or up_? _Why the complexity_? He scowled, glaring at the offending halls.

_Maybe I'll wing it_, he thought. _I mean, whoever is that opened those doors wouldn't put me in a labyrinth, right? Provided there is anybody…_

Walking towards the center of the room, he glanced down the three lower paths, seeing only the walls of a bending hallway.

He glanced towards the stairwell, decided it was the likely to be the least boring of the four, and started walking towards it.

_Maybe it'll lead me to the roof or a window or something. I can probably slip outside and get a feel for my surroundings, at least…_

* * *

><p><em>I like this<em>, a lightly dressed man thought as he jogged up a staircase. _Good exercise, keeps me warm in this frosty place, exhilarating…_

The man had awoken in a sealed chamber with a dirt floor, found a dead end, and, when kicking the wall as hard as he could proved futile, he was provided with some clothing (a blue, lightweight gi, much to his liking).

His 'morning jog' came to an end when he approached the top of the long stairwell. He slowed down to a walk as he entered a large, high ceilinged room at the top of the stairwell. He spied a large window, paced over to it and gazed out. He widened his eyes and nearly gasped at what he saw: he was in a tall tower of a white fortress, surrounded by snow-white mountains as far as he could see.

_Wait, this tower is higher than those peaks_, he realized. _How high is this place_?

He looked down at the ground.

_Looks like I'm on the outside edge of this place_. He glanced behind him, seeing a straight hallway. _An' that probably leads towards the center. 's also my only option for now_.

Moments later, he was walking down the hall. He heard something; he blinked, paused and listened again. He heard it again. The sounds of distant voices echoing down the hall made him grin.

_Somebody else is 'ere_, he thought, resuming his walk, but more slowly. _Maybe they know somethin'…_

* * *

><p>A man stepped into the round hall, his left hand resting on the threshold, gaze shifting from the right to the left.<p>

_Other people are here_, he thought. _I can hear them_.

His eyes caught a flash of red around the bend, disappearing from view.

_Ah-ha_, he thought, smiling. He strode as swiftly and quietly as he could, following after the mysterious figure. But then he paused.

_What if they're dangerous_, he considered, resting his left hand on the rapier at his hip. _But I don't want them to think me a threat, either_.

Removing his hand from his weapon, he walked as calmly and naturally as he could muster, and rounded the bend.

There stood a red-haired man in crimson and black armor, with a sword hanging from his waist. The man's back was to him slightly, but the slightest noise would draw his attention.

He stepped away from the wall and called out in greeting.

* * *

><p>After waking in a crystal lit chamber, dressing, having an exit provided for him (he assumed), winding his way up a flight stairs, down a hall and into this circular hall, he stopped to take in his surroundings.<p>

_This place has a holy feel to it_, he decided. He knew that much. He had yet to answer his questions about who he was and what he was doing here, but he knew that this place was somehow important.

He glanced to his right and saw how the light seemed to flow from that direction (perhaps from a window), and started to walk towards it. He had walked around the bend when he heard faint footfalls behind him, causing him to pause. He rested his hand on the hilt of his sword and waited.

He heard his follower pause, then step towards him slowly. After a brief moment, the person called out: "Greetings, friend!"

The figure was male and spoke with a slight, indefinable accent. Turning to face the individual, he saw a man, slightly taller than himself, with long, silver hair pulled into a loose ponytail. We wore a red jacket with an ascot, gauntlets, black pants, tall boots, a red cape, and a brimmed red hat with a feather. He also noticed a rapier at his belt and a red shield on his arm. His most noticeable features, however, were his large, pointed ears.

A friendly smile crossed the elfish man's face and he raised his hands. "I don't mean any harm, my friend," the elfish man said, shooting a pointed look at his nameless companion's hand, which was resting the hilt of his sword. He moved his hand.

"Good to finally find someone in this cold place," the elfish man. "I awoke and found myself in a warm little chamber. You wouldn't happen to know what's going on here, would you?"

"I'm afraid not. I woke up in a sealed chamber as well, it seems."

"Say… you wouldn't happen to have a… name… would you?" the elfish man asked.

The nameless man shook his head. "No," he replied. "I cannot seem to recall anything such as that prior to my awakening."

"Ah. Me neither," the Elfish Man said, shaking his head. He glanced up again, down the hall they had come from, to look at something. The nameless man followed his gaze.

There running down the hall towards them was a burly, browned-haired man, wearing what appeared to be a blue gi. He offered a wave to them, which the elfish man returned. The nameless man just nodded. He came to a stop in front of them, with no noticeable labor of breath, and smiled broadly.

"G'mornin' friends!" he said. "You two wouldn't happen to know anybody in charge 'ere, would you?"

"Nay," said the nameless man. "We do not know what is going on here."

"I'm going to assume," the elfish man said, "that you woke up in a domed room with no memory. Am I correct?"

"Eh?" said the newcomer, and then he laughed. "Aye, you're right."

"No name either?"

"Nope," he replied.

"Ah-ha, it would seem I'm _not_ alone in this place as I had feared," said a new voice.

The three looked up to see a man in green, with a green bandana. He paced up to them.

"From what I heard of your conversation, you don't know where we are, what we're doing here and no, I don't recall anything," he said, frowning with brows furrowed.

The burly man laughed again while the elfish man grinned.

"Anybody else here, or is it just us?" asked the green man.

"There is. At least two. They're coming this way now," said the elfish man. The others glanced at him. He smiled and gestured to his ears.

"Should we go to them?" asked the burly man.

"Let us just wait here," said the nameless man. The others nodded.

"What's this way?" the burly man asked the green man, gesturing towards the way that the nameless man was walking.

"There's a doorway and a window," he replied, "but they're sealed tight."

"Aye, I see," said the burly man.

A few minutes later, the small group could hear footsteps from where the burly man had gestured.

A moment later, a man in a black coat and hat with a staff rounded the bend. He paused upon seeing them, looking at each one, before raising his hand in greeting.

"Hallo, friends," he said, a hint of uncertainty and suspicion in his voice.

"G'day, my friend," said the burly man in reply. The others nodded to him. The black-robed man looked about, and then stepped towards the outer wall, saying nothing. When no one else said anything, the elfish man strode over to him and engaged him in quiet conversation.

The nameless man looked around and started walking towards the window area. The green man and the burly man noticed him moving away, and started after him, followed by the elfish man and the black-robed man.

When the five of them arrived, they found a red-haired woman in a white robe standing in front of a large, stone door. She was mumbling to herself, and appeared to be shivering slightly.

"Excuse me, my lady," the nameless man started. The woman yelped and spun around. She glanced a bit frantically at the group before replying.

"O-oh. Hello there. You wouldn't happen to know how where I can find someone in charge around here? I seem to be a bit lost."

"Nay. None of us know anything about this place."

"Ah," she said. "Then you wouldn't happen to know how to open this accursed door would you?"

"I tried already," said the green man. He opened his mouth to say something, but a grinding sound cut him off. They all looked to the door as it slowly slid open.

"Ah. Never mind, then," he said.

They all glanced through the door, then at each other, then back to the door.

"Should we go in?" the black robed man asked.

"It seems someone wants us to," the nameless man said, stepping through the threshold. The others followed him cautiously.

The room inside was round, with a very high ceiling.

"What do we do now?" asked the burly man, as the last of the six stepped through the door. The door slid closed behind them, causing the green man and the woman to give shouts of surprise. Before anyone could do anything further, the whole floor shook, before it started to rise, revealing itself to be an elevator.

"Up we go, then," stated the elfish man.

"Yes," agreed the nameless man. "So it would seem."

* * *

><p>All reviews appreciated.<p> 


	2. Ascending into the Clouds

Ascending into the Clouds

As the stone elevator continually rose, the six unnamed people took to conversing.

"None of you have any memories before waking?" the black-robed man inquired. "That makes little sense."

The elfish man in red made of noise of interest, prompting the man to continue.

"I mean, if we have amnesia, we should forget far more than our names and past, right?"

"Perhaps," said the relatively quiet man with red hair. "But I do not believe our memories are missing because of some trauma."

"What, you believe they were removed somehow?" asked the only female among them.

"Yes," he replied.

"And you think that whoever it is, we're about to meet, right?" interrupted a man in green. He snorted. "Not exactly the most gracious of hosts, stripping our memories like that."

"Maybe our mem'ries will be restored at the top," said a stocky man.

"Fat chance," said the man in green.

"Maybe we'll get an explanation or somethin'," the stocky man argued. The man in green snorted again, but said nothing.

"What if we don't want to know our histories?" said the woman. "We could've done some really bad things before. This could be a prison, or we could be going to a trial."

"It's likely," said the man in green. The red-haired man made a dissenting noise. "Well what do you know?" asked man in green.

"If we're criminals, why did they arm us with weapons?" asked the elf.

The man in black nodded. "I agree with him," he said.

"On a slightly lighter note," said the elf. "Do any of you have any ideas as to what we can call each other? I find it tiresome to constantly label you in my head."

A moment passed before anybody said anything. "I was sort of waiting for us to reach our destination," said the woman. "I agree with our friend about getting an explanation." She nodded to the burly man.

The elf smiled and nodded at her. "I understand."

Conversation quieted for a few minutes.

"We approach our destination," spoke the red-haired man, who was intently observing something above them. Everybody looked up.

"I don't see anything," said the man in green. The red-haired man said nothing.

The elf paused, looked up again, and then slowly walked over to the red-haired man.

"Are you sensing something in this place?" he asked, his voice a whisper.

"I sense something," the other man replied. "You?"

"I _hear_ something," the elf replied. "It's very faint, but it's everywhere. Like it's in the very air."

The other man nodded.

"But… how do you know we are approaching the top?"

"Do you see the light at the top?" he asked. The elf nodded. "Look closely."

The elf did so. The light looked to be simply from a skylight or window. But after a few moments, he saw, the light seemed to be shifting. His eyes widened.

"It's a cloud of light," he said in awe.

"Indeed," said the other man. "We are getting closer."

* * *

><p>In a few minutes, as the red-haired man predicted, the stone elevator slid to a stop. A light mist filled the area they were in. Against the wall was another large stone door.<p>

"Well I apologize, fellow," said the man in green. "Seems you were right."

The red-haired man nodded, but said nothing, his eyes focused on the door.

The door slid open with a grinding noise. Thick mists spilled forth from the open doorway, almost completely shrouding the group.

"Ominous," said the black-robed man.

The red-haired man strode forward swiftly without a word, crossed the threshold and disappeared into the mist.

The others paused. The elf followed him a moment later with the burly man in tow. The black robed man shrugged, and then followed. The woman and the man in green looked at each other.

"No other choice, I guess," said the woman. The man nodded grimly.

A second later, the two passed through the threshold.

* * *

><p>When she and her companion crossed the door, her mouth dropped open. The chamber was filled with mists. It permeated the ground, rising to her waist. Clouds of white hung above her head, creating a cavern-like effect. A ways ahead of her, a broad stairway of white stone rose from the fog. It extended upwards, hit a landing, then turned and ascended into the clouds.<p>

_Beautiful_, she thought.

Ahead of her, the red-haired man stood near the top of the stairway, with the three others standing at the near the base.

_How brave of him, to carry on without pause_, she thought.

When she and her companion reached the others, the red-haired man started ascending again.

The others followed quickly. "More stairs," she heard the green man grumble, but she paid him no mind.

When she and the others reached the landing, their companion had already reached the cloud bank, and was standing before it.

The elfish man started walking forward. She and the others followed, until they were all standing a little below the red-haired man.

The man rested his hand on the sword at his hip, drew it and held it in front him, tip pointed at the sky. Silver mists started to congregate around the blade, swirling and glowing, until they dissipated.

The blade glowed bright silver. The man gave a shout and thrusted its point into the cloudbank. With a flash, the wall of clouds split in half and drew apart.

_Amazing_, she thought, not looking at the display, but at the sights beyond. The skies were silver, filled with sparkling white dots, much like stars. The stairway ascended and curved to the right.

* * *

><p>"Something tells me," said the man in black. "That this place is somehow not a part of the tower."<p>

"Way to state the obvious," said the man in green.

It had been several minutes since the red-haired man divided the cloudbank. They started up the stairs, which wound in a corkscrew, the man in red leading the whole time. The view was beautiful from the stairs. The same mists expanded from below them, creating a sea-like expanse.

The woman was third in line behind the elf and the man in red, both of whom were quiet. The burly man stood next to her, staring across the expanse as he walked. The other two were in the rear.

"Hey, you in front!" the man in green called. "You wouldn't happen to know when we'll reach the top, would you?"

"Soon," was all he heard.

"I'd like to know how _you_ know these things," he said.

"There is someone or something of considerable power above us. The closer we get, the stronger its presence becomes."

"Really, 'cause I don't feel anything," argued the man in green.

"Oh, silence," said the woman. "It's not like we have much of a choice in the first place."

"Needn't worry there, friend," said the large man. "I'm sure we could take on anythin' that attacks us." The man in green only grunted.

"What makes you think that?" asked the elf.

"We're all fighters, ain't we?"

"Yes," agreed the elf. "But what makes you think we could defeat anything we confront?"

"Uh, I dunno," said the burly man. He shrugged. "I know some stuff about fightin', I guess. Thought you'd all be the same. And we're all in a group, right? Figured we'd fight it as a group."

The elf gave a nod. "I see," was all he said.

The woman paced forward, catching up with the man in red.

"He's a bit annoying, isn't he?" she asked him, referring to the man in green.

"His reservations are well founded," was his answer.

"You don't find him aggravating?"

"Nay. I understand where he is coming from. I would agree with most of his thoughts, were I in his position. But I am confident that this will turn out well."

"Oh, I see," she said in slight confusion. He said nothing.

_Talkative guy_, she thought.

She looked up again and saw that the stairs continue as far as she could see.

_Guess it's gonna be a while longer, in any case_, she thought, sighing.

After a few more minutes of walking, the stairs came to an end, stopping at a round, white landing.

_Wait, what_? she thought. _But it… but the stairs… what_?

"Now where to?" said the man in green.

The man in red walked to the center of the platform and looked around. As soon as the last of them crossed the invisible threshold onto the platform, a bright light surrounded them, obscuring everything from sight.

* * *

><p>When their vision returned and the light faded, they were no longer on a stairwell in a world of silver. Rather, they were in a flat plain full of water. Gray clouds filled the sky and strange crystal structures dotted the landscape. Long beams of green light wound through the air.<p>

The elf scanned the horizon. Something caught his eye. _Looks like a blue fire_.

"I believe that's our destination," he said, gesturing towards the phenomenon in the distance.

The man in red nodded, but said nothing.

* * *

><p>The object was closer than it looked. Upon drawing closer to it, the elf could see a pedestal and the "flame" was really an aura of light.<p>

_Is there… someone sitting there_? He thought.

As they drew closer, it revealed itself to be a figure, as he thought. A regal woman in a long white dress with golden hair sat on a crystal throne.

"Greetings, warriors," she said, her voice calm and motherly. The elf blinked. "Greetings," he replied. The man in red offered a deep bow instead. "My lady," the man said. The elf looked at him, puzzled, for a moment, before offering a slight bow himself to the lady.

"You have come bearing many questions," she stated.

"Of course we do," said the man in green quickly, the frustration in his voice obvious to all.

The lady nodded solemnly. "Your questions will be answered, in time."

"If I may start," said their only female companion. "Why is it we awoke here? Why do we have no memory before awakening? What is this place, and who are you."

"I am Cosmos, Goddess of Harmony and this is my realm," the lady, Cosmos, replied. "Your memories have been erased and you awoke here to serve as my guardians."

"Guardians? Why serve as the guardians of someone who erased our memories?" asked the man in green.

"It was not I who forced you into this, but other forces," she replied. "Perhaps I should explain. This world, its existence, the lives of its people, and the lives of you and me are being threatened by a great force. To protect it, a set of requirements have to be met perfectly. My counterpart, Chaos, God of Discord, and his forces have broken those requirements. They have overrun most of this world and its people, shrouding them in darkness."

"Wait, if the requirements have been compromised, why is the world still alive?" asked the man in black.

"The danger works slowly, but is absolute, if not warded. This place is my last stronghold. As we speak, forces of Chaos are invading it. You are my last resort. Please, I entreat you. If you help me in this crisis, you may carry on with your lives however you wish."

Everyone drew quiet, thinking. "How much time till the dark forces arrive? Do we have enough time to consider this?" asked the woman in white

"Yes. You have plenty of time. I wouldn't expect you to make a decision so fast."

"Thank you," she said "You wouldn't mind if I ask what our history is?"

"A sage of not inconsiderable power raised you, taught you how to fight and use magic. Then he removed your personal memories and put you all to sleep."

"So… we didn't have any names?"

"If you did, I know them not."

"Oh. I see. Thank you, my lady."

"What was the sage's name?" asked the elf.

"Cid. Cid of the Lufaine."

"Where can I find him?" asked the man in green.

"I believe he met demise shortly afterward."

"Say…" the strong man started. "If you're a goddess, why don't you stop these guys attacking you?"

"When Chaos betrayed me, his primary lieutenant wounded me greatly. I have been resting for some time. Much of my power is still gone."

"And your other servants? Surely you have others?" asked the elf.

"They were crystal constructs lacking will or thought. They were all destroyed while I was asleep."

No more questions followed. The man in red was quiet the whole time, and the man in green looked contemplative. The others drifted apart, to think.

_What should I do_?

* * *

><p>All reviews appreciated.<p> 


	3. A Call to Action

A Call to Action

The man in red sat crossed legged, eyes closed with his sword in front of him stabbed in the ground. He was meditating on the situation at hand – namely, the world was in danger of destruction, dark forces marching upon them. And they were the last line of defense. The fact that they probably did not have names troubled him little.

_I know what I must do_, he thought. _But it is the decisions of my allies that concern me. Fighting together will increase our chances of survival, but if they choose to not fight all of us may die. However_, he considered. _If we were taught together, as I understand, I am confident they will make the right decision_.

Footsteps interrupted his soliloquy. Opening his eyes, he glanced up at his visitor. There stood the elf in red. The elf nodded to him; he nodded in return.

"I hardly know you, yet I have a feeling you've already made a decision. Why is that, I wonder?" the elf asked.

"Perhaps it is because we knew each other before this," replied the red-haired man.

"Yes, perhaps," the elf said. "So you have made a decision, then."

"Indeed."

"To fight."

"Indeed."

"As I thought. I'm inclined to agree with you. However…"

"However?"

"There is one thing I must know, which the Lady Cosmos knows, I am sure, and I want you to approach her with me."

"And what is that?"

"I want to know about what we've been taught, prior to our awakening."

"I see," he said. He drew himself up from the ground. "Very well. I will go with you."

"Excellent."

* * *

><p>It was a short walk to Cosmos' Throne. The two men stood before goddess.<p>

"Have you made a decision?" Cosmos asked.

"I have a few questions to ask first," said the elf. "Then I will give you my answer."

She nodded. "Ask."

"Are we really qualified to fight against these dark forces approaching us?"

"Cid was a sage renowned for teaching warriors and mages alike. I am confident he would not teach anybody inadequately, let alone his most favored of students."

The elf nodded in acceptance. "Do you know what skills he taught us?"

"He had you, young swordsman," she said, looking to the red-haired man, who had been quiet, "train in the arts of swordplay with many masters. You are thus a warrior."

"To you, young elf," she continued, "he taught the ways of your people."

"And that is?" he asked.

"The art of combining magic and swordplay. Many people call practitioners Red Mages, but the elves from your homelands refer to them as Templars."

"And the others?" the Warrior asked.

"Your lady companion was trained in the arts of White Magic. She is considered either a white mage, devout, shaman, oracle or seer. The man in black was taught black magic, and is referred to as a black mage, warlock or magus. The man in blue is a martial artist, or a monk. And the man in green is what people would call a thief, bandit or brigand."

"Interesting vocation," the Templar said. Cosmos smiled. "It is really just a name. The training often includes tracking and scouting. Among these skills, I believe he taught you the skills of warfare."

"Ah," the Templar said. "I see. I was hoping for something that would perhaps unravel our bound memories, but thank you."

Cosmos shook her head. "That is something you must discover yourselves."

"My friend," the Warrior interrupted. "I believe you said you had an answer?"

"Ah yes," the Templar said. "Very well. I will fight, at least for now. I really see no other option."

"Thank you, sincerely," said the Goddess.

"Have any of the others approached you?" asked the Warrior.

"You are the first ones."

"Very well. Thank you, my Lady. We shall depart."

* * *

><p>"Have your questions been answered?" asked the Warrior, a few minutes after the two had left the Goddess.<p>

"No," was the reply. "But I am satisfied, at least for now. For some reason, I believe this 'Cid' is still alive."

"Do you think the Goddess a liar?"

"No. It's just a feeling."

A few moments passed in silence as they walked.

"I believe it pertinent that we speak to the others," said the Warrior.

The Templar came to a stop. "Do you think it will help any?"

"I do." The Templar was quiet for a moment.

"Do you know where they are then?"

"Two are in that direction," the Warrior said, pointing to his left, towards a collection of white spires. "The others are in the opposite."

"Do you know who is where?" asked the Templar. The Warrior shook his head.

"Then let's split up. I'll head this way," the elf gestured to where the Warrior first pointed.

The Warrior nodded and walked off, heading for a large white structure.

* * *

><p>The man Cosmos referred to as a monk stood in a flat area surrounded by white structures.<p>

He found that practicing his martial arts was relaxing, and it was better than sitting and thinking about this whole situation.

He stopped, panting. He glanced around the clearing. He blinked.

_I wonder_, he thought, looking at a particular crystal, jutting out of a larger boulder. He swiftly walked over to it, and examined it. _I wonder if I can lift it_, he thought.

He wrapped his arms around it and heaved. It cracked and broke loose. _Cool_.

He took several steps back and heaved. The stone flew high into the air. He swiftly drew back and took a stance. The crystal came plummeting back down moment later. He swiftly swung his knee to intercept it, smashing the crystal. It fragmented immediately, the pieces flying in several directions.

He looked at his handiwork, when he heard the sound of slow applause coming from behind him.

He spun around to see the tall elf.

"Impressive display," the elf said. "Tell me, what purpose does that serve?"

The Monk shrugged. "Just did it to prove I could."

"And if you shattered your leg?"

The Monk paused. "Hadn't really though o' that. Just did it cause I thought I could."

"Hmm. Yes, well, I came here to ask you about what your decision is."

"Oh," the Monk said simply. "I don't really know. I mean, the fightin' don't really upset me, just, I don't know. I guess I'm kinda hesitant to do this 'cause if I do, the whole world sorta hangs in the balance, an' I'm a decidin' factor."

"I didn't take you as a hesitant type," the Templar said.

"It's just that this whole thing is all complex an' stuff, an' I don't really like complex stuff."

"Ah. Well if it's any consolation, you won't be the only one fighting."

"Really?"

"Yes. Myself and the Warrior, at least."

"Who?"

"The red-haired man. The two of us confronted Cosmos about some things. She called me a Templar, and him a Warrior. You are a Monk."

"Really…" the Monk considered. "S'got a nice ring to it. So you really are fightin'?"

"Yes. I believe if I do not fight now, I can't do what I wish later."

"Ya, I see where yer comin' from," the Monk conceded. "Guess I'll help ya two out, then."

"Are you certain?"

"O'course!"

"You should probably tell Cosmos, then."

"Right!"

* * *

><p>She sat on the ledge of a crystal structure, her legs swinging freely in the air, looking out over the divine plane.<p>

_It really is a pretty place_, she thought, _in an otherworldly kind o' way_.

_I wonder_, she thought, _if I do fight, will it stay like this_?

The sound of footsteps interrupted her thought. The figure reached the top, walked towards her, and stopped at her right. A glimpse of red armor showed it to be the red-haired man.

_Must be here to ask me what my decision is_, she thought. "What brings you here?" she asked.

He was quiet for a moment. "It is natural, in these situations, to be hesitant," he said.

She raised her eyebrows, boggled. "What do you know about hesitancy?" she asked, looking at him. He looked back at her and caught her eyes, his gaze steely.

"You made the first step into the elevator, into the cloudy realm and onto the teleporter and you were the first to greet Cosmos. You haven't shown one bit of hesitancy since I met you," she said, not breaking the gaze.

"It has not been long, since we have met," he said simply. He broke contact, turning to gaze back to the vista. "I have not been hesitant because this place has not been fearful to me, save for when I first awoke."

"Why?"

"I am not certain," he said. Neither said anything further for several minutes

"We could die, you know," she said.

"Do not act and we die. Act, and we could die, but we could live as well. I would much rather act and die, knowing I have fought for life."

"And if we live, what happens?" she asked him.

"I do not know."

She sighed. "I don't know… What you say makes sense, but the thought of fighting… for who knows how long…"

"The decision is yours. But I am fighting, along with the elf. We could use your white magic."

"How'd you know about that?

"We spoke with Cosmos. She said you knew it. She called you a devout."

"She did?"

"And a white mage. And a few other things, but I do not recall them all."

"Nothing unsavory, I hope," she said, smiling.

"Nay," he said.

"I like devout," she decided "What are you?"

"A warrior."

"Well, that's obvious," she said. "Anyway, I'll stay here a bit. I want to think about it some more."

"Of course. I'll leave you be, then."

"Thank you, Warrior."

* * *

><p>With a flash and rumble, a bolt of lightning struck a crystal, cracking it in half. Many more crystal boulders surrounding the man in black were similarly cracked, or melted, or partially covered in ice.<p>

After the first spell he cast, Fire, it had taken only a few tries to learn the Blizzard and Thunder spells on his walk through the tower. Afterwards, they flowed through him as naturally as breathing; causing indiscriminate destruction had an oddly calming effect on him.

_Must be one of those things_, he thought. He knew he had an observer, the elf, but he hadn't acknowledged him.

_I don't really want to fight some evil monster or whatever_, he thought, releasing another ball of fire. _It's probably that other god, coming to kill Cosmos himself. Don't want to fight that at all_.

_But_… he hesitated. _I should talk to him. He must want to say something. Probably about this whole thing. Maybe my hesitation to talk means something. Am I hesitant because, subconsciously, I'm not sure about my decision_?

He shot a blizzard at an already melted stone, and then shot a fire spell behind it. The spells mixed and exploded in a flash of light.

_Neat_, he observed. _I hate my subconscious, if so. The jerk is right there, just outta sight, screwing up everything_.

_Wait, wouldn't that make me a jerk? Whatever. I should talk to that guy_.

He didn't have to, as the elf approached him anyway.

"Seems like a useful thing to remember," he said, referring to the ice and fire reaction.

_Small talk. He's trying to familiarize himself_, the man in black realized immediately. "Yeah, I suppose."

"I wonder what would happen if you threw in Thunder?" continued the elf.

"Don't know. Tried to fire off three consecutive spells, but I can't."

"How about I throw it in?"

"You know it?"

"Aye," replied the man. He drew his rapier, closed his eyes and began chanting softly under his breath. The man in black followed suit, swiftly casting a blizzard and then a fire right after it. The elf's eyes shot open and he gave a cry as a bolt of lightning struck the mingling spells. A flash of light burst forth, followed by a shockwave that nocked both men of their feet.

The elf rose swiftly, laughing light heartedly, and walked over to the man in black, offering a hand in assistance. Accepting the offer, the elf pulled him to his feet.

"Well," the elf said, amusement in his voice, "we'll have to remember to not do that again!"

"I guess," said the man in black, uncertainly. "Why didn't you say you had black magic earlier?"

"I was being cautious, I suppose," said the elf. "I have some white, as well." The other nodded.

"You came here because you want to know about my decision," the man in black said simply.

"Cutting to the chase, eh? Didn't take you for the type, my friend," said the elf.

"I'm not. I've been mulling this over since you got here."

"Heh. I see," the elf paused. "We spoke with Cosmos, you know. Me and the Warrior. She called you a magus, I think."

"Sounds fearsome," the magus said. "May I ask, what have you decided?"

"I will fight this time, along with the Warrior and the Monk."

"The red-haired man and that simple-minded fellow?"

"Aye."

The magus was quiet for a long while. "Why do you fight?" he asked.

"I was under the impression that I had little choice, and my chances of living increased significantly if I did."

"You were forced, then."

"No. I chose to fight."

The magus scoffed, but said nothing.

"Say we do fight and we push back these guys coming here now. What happens after that? Do we all go home and live happily ever after? Do the forces of evil give up, shake hands and go home? Or do we continue fighting for our lives against a foe that covers the whole planet? And how do we even know if Cosmos isn't a bloody liar and these 'forces of chaos' are even the bad guys?"

"I suppose we won't know for sure unless we take the initiative to find out."

"I don't think it would be so simple."

"Perhaps not, but perhaps agreeing to fight just this once will answer those questions," argued the elf. "I have no desire to fight forever, but I have no desire to die."

"You do realize this foe is probably greater than any of us, right?"

"Absolutely. I would like to say that you will probably last the longest."

"Flattery will get you nowhere."

"Then let me try this: I entreat you to assist us in this battle. Your skills will greatly increase our chances of survival."

"Your last argument is begging?"

"Would like me to?"

The magus waved his hand. "Don't humiliate yourself," he said. "You really think my fighting would increase our chances?"

"Your offensive black magic far outclasses mine. I have spells for assisting my allies, for the most part."

"Hmm," the black mage uttered thoughtfully. He was quiet for a few moments. "I do not wish to fight for Cosmos, necessarily. Nor do I wish to fight the unending hordes of her foes."

"Of course."

"And I'm not convinced she's what she says she is," said the magus. "However, because you and the warrior asked nicely, I'll think about giving some assistance."

"I speak for no one save for myself, but thank you."

* * *

><p>The Warrior found that the thief was skilled at staying elusive.<p>

_A scout would be skilled at covering his tracks_, _of course_, he thought. _It is likely I will not be able find him, should he not want to be found_. _It is not likely he will assist us, but I will talk to him anyway_.

"I saw you talking with the goddess, you know," said a voice above and behind him.

The Warrior spun around, hand to his blade. There sat the man he was seeking upon a ledge of a large crystal boulder. His bandana was removed and tied around his left arm.

"We simply discussed some things Cid taught us," the Warrior replied.

"Oh?" the man said. "Like what?"

"She told me you were trained as a thief."

"That seems like a rather rude thing to call somebody."

"I believe it more accurate to call you a scout, as that is the skill you obviously excel at."

The man grunted in a non-committal manner. The man pushed off his perch and landed in front of the Warrior.

"Listen," he said, "I know I've been a bit of an ass to all you guys. Don't bother denying it, you agree."

"You have been a bit short with us."

The man snorted. "Short. Right. Yeah, anyway. I don't wanna sound like I'm makin' excuses or that I'm trying to justify myself, but I didn't wake up to an ideal set of circumstances," he said "And I've felt a bit railroaded the last few hours. I'm not entirely certain I actually chose to go up the stairs when I left my room, or if this Cosmos influenced my decision somehow."

"The other passages led nowhere but to dead ends," the Warrior informed him.

"Yeah, see? I was still forced along, mental suggestions or no, and I don't like it."

"I see," said the Warrior. Both were quiet.

"I believe," said the Warrior, "that some things are unavoidable and necessary. Choosing not to confront these things gets one nowhere."

"I agree with that, see? And I know this is one of those things. But even though I'm doing this, I don't have to like it?" said the man.

The Warrior blinked. "You mean you are going to fight?"

"I don't see much alternative, and I'm no coward. But I'm not swearing undying loyalty to some lady who says she's a goddess and I'm her sworn soldier, or whatever."

"I… see," the Warrior said slowly, startled. _I had thought he would be much more difficult_.

"I just don't want you guys to think I'm being a jerk 'cause I don't like you lot," he said "I'm just being a jerk 'cause I don't like something else."

"As I told the Devout, I take no issue with your attitude."

"Who?"

* * *

><p>The Templar was walking slowly back to Cosmos' Throne, thinking.<p>

_I hope he decides to fight_, he thought, thinking of his conversation with the Magus. _It would surely be a boon_.

His conversation with the man was less satisfactory then he had hoped. _But then again_, he thought, _there is hope_.

_I wonder how the Warrior is doing_, he considered. _It must be the lady and that sardonic man he found_. _I can't fathom how that went_.

The Throne came into view. Cosmos sat in the same place where he and the Warrior left her. The Monk was off to the side a ways, doing push-ups.

As he drew closer, his sensitive ears could hear the man counting to himself. The Templar raised an eyebrow. _That seems excessive_, he thought.

He stopped a short distance away and turned to observe the Goddess. Her eyes were closed, and she was still. He considered her several long minutes.

_She doesn't seem like a liar_, he thought. _In fact, she looks tired_. _She did say that she was wounded and that her power was gone_. _Is that why, I wonder_?

The sounds of footsteps drew his attention. He turned to see the Warrior and the thief walking towards the Throne. The thief was saying something, and seemed to be laughing, having a jovial conversation with the Warrior.

_As much as he could have a jovial conversation_, the Templar thought, thinking of the Warrior's quiet attitude.

As the two got closer, the thief started to walk towards Cosmos. The Warrior came to a stop and sat down, resuming the position he had when the Templar approached him earlier.

The thief's conversation with Cosmos, which he ignored, despite being able to hear them like they were right next to him, was brief. Then the thief walked towards a short stone to sit down.

Minutes passed in silence.

_I wonder if this it_, the Templar thought, strategizing about the upcoming battle. _If it is only us four, I'll have to be the healer_. _That'll be difficult, if there are many foes_. _I wonder how much time is left_.

He walked up to Cosmos. "My Lady," he said to her.

"Yes, young Templar?" she replied.

"How much time before Chaos's forces arrive?"

"About three hours."

"I see. Thank you."

"Of course."

He walked away, towards a slab of crystal and leaned against it. _Then we still have some time_, he thought.

Several more minutes passed before anything happened. The woman in white walked around a structure and approached Cosmos. She bowed slightly and whispered something to her. Cosmos smiled and whispered something in return. The white mage bowed again and stepped away. She glanced around at the gathered group. The Monk (who had since stopped his exercises and was sitting on the ground) and the thief both nodded to her.

She walked over to the Warrior, looked at him, then walked over to sit by a stone.

_That's four of us and it relieves me as a medic_, the Templar thought, relieved. _But I wonder if our magus friend will fight_.

As if waiting for some call, the magus stepped around a pillar and into the presence of Cosmos' Throne.

* * *

><p>The Warrior's eyes shot open when he felt the presence of the man. He looked up and saw the magus stride calmly towards the Goddess. The Warrior watched him intently as he approached the throne and said something. He saw another smile cross her face, revealing to him that the magus had agreed to fight.<p>

He rose and walked with determination to the Throne. "You have agreed to fight?" he asked the magus, for confirmation. The man nodded.

"To assist you all," was what he said.

"I appreciate that," the Warrior replied.

The Templar had approached by then, offering a nod to the Magus, who returned it. The thief approached from his left.

"Just so you know," he whispered. "I prefer being called a Scout."

The Templar raised an eyebrow, hearing what the Scout had said.

The Monk jogged over, a big smile on his face. The Devout approached the group, also smiling.

Cosmos rose from her seat. "I thank all of you for doing this, sincerely."

"Yes, My Lady," said the Warrior. "Where shall we prepare? Here?"

"You may, if you wish."

"Is there anywhere closer to where they will come from?" asked the Templar.

"In the main hall of the temple below. The only way to reach this place is through a cave system. The passage way opens into a grand staircase, which leads to the hall."

"Any place to get supplies? Potions and such?"

She paused a moment. "There is a supply chamber down the west corridor. It should have such things."

"How long will it take to get there from here?" asked the Scout.

Instead of answering, she gestured to her right. A golden crystal materialized.

"This shall take you there."

* * *

><p>All reviews and silent readers are appreciated<p> 


	4. Battle Scene

Battle Scene

The Scout whistled. "This place sure is huge."

Indeed it was. The main hall was large enough to hold perhaps a thousand people or more. Two large doorways sat on the east and west sides of the chamber, and a balcony and stairs were on the north side. A gargantuan opened passageway was positioned at the south side, and the grand stairs led down to an opening in the mountain side.

"Well," he said again. "This place is large enough for a battle."

"Indeed," said the Warrior. "Let us decide what we must do."

"Somebody needs to find the supplies," said the Templar. "They're in that direction, I believe."

"I'll go," said the Monk. "Heavy liftin', and all."

"I will too," said the Magus. "Ethers will be good to have."

"I'll help," said the Devout.

"I would like to inspect the doorways here," said the Warrior. "It would be beneficial if they are sealed."

"I'll take a gander at the stairs," said the Templar.

"I bet Cosmos would know if the doors can be shut," said the Scout. "I'll go ask 'er."

When they touched the crystal Cosmos had created, it had teleported them to the balcony. A matching crystal sat there.

The Warrior turned to his elf companion and said: "Then I will accompany you to the stairs."

* * *

><p>The vicious barking of hellhounds and the sound of a multitude of footfalls echoed through the cavernous chamber. Combined with the rattling of armor against armor and the guttural shouts of the wearers, it created a hellish roar.<p>

Garland stood tall amongst the chaos, clad in silver armor, two horns on his helm. The rushing of his troops flowed around him.

_This place_, Garland thought, _is an aggravation_. _I will be sure to crush this place to something finer than sand, after Cosmos is dead_.

He stared at his monstrous sword. _Of course, once I kill the woman, all of this will be worth it_.

* * *

><p>The Warrior sat on the stairs leading to the balcony, overlooking the room. It had been a few hours since the six of them had started to work on defending against the invaders.<p>

The Monk had been carrying large boxes from the supply room. They were arranging them in a protective wall around the stairs.

The Magus had found some magic scrolls, and was seated on a crate, pouring over them.

The Devout and the Templar were on the balcony, going through the supplies of curative items.

The group had found a box of hand bombs, and the Scout was creating stockpiles of the things for defense.

The Scout had spoken with Cosmos about the doors, and she had come down to seal all the passageways in the temple, save for the western passage. However, she had instructed him how to close the doors, and it would be secured before the time came.

The Templar appeared, holding out his black pouch. "Here. Stocked full of potions and elixirs for the upcoming battle."

The Warrior took it. "Thank you."

"Of course. Any new ideas for our little fortress here?" the Templar asked.

"No. I believe we have done everything we can."

"I see," said the Templar. "Are you worried?"

"Absolutely."

The Devout trotted down the steps. "Well," she said. "I've done all I could do. Not sure when we could get the time to use them, but, there they are."

"Indeed. It's hard to plan with no real idea as to what we're facing."

"Lady Cosmos said that we should expect a small battalion of soldiers," said the Warrior. "Led by one of Chaos' premier generals."

"Yes, but we don't really have anything to measure their strength to. Or ours, for that matter."

The Devout opened her mouth to say something, when a loud bang caught their attention. The three swung around to see a pillar of black smoke rising from the cave entrance at the base of the grand stairs.

The Warrior shot to his feet, gestured at the western door, mumbling softly. The large door started sliding shut. The man hooked his potion pouch to his belt, unfastened his shield, drew his sword and leapt from the stairs in one seemingly continuous movement. The Templar and the Devout rushed down the stairs after him, a newly found staff in her hand.

When they reached the bottom, the others had already gathered together. The Devout passed them all of their pouches.

"Take your positions," said the Warrior. He stepped forward, close to the opening, the Monk stepping beside him. The Templar and the Magus took positions a ways behind them, behind a wall of crates, and readied themselves.

"Thank god for the Monk's strength," the Templar mumbled to himself.

The Scout shot around to the right of the door, taking position behind another stack of crates (the crates were stacked around the balcony stairwell, two walls in front and a row on either side, creating a crude foxhole-like defense).

The Devout was hidden in the rear, and all five others were in sight of her, so she could hit them with healing spells.

The sound of monstrous barking echoed up the stairs. Out of the smoke burst fifteen or twenty pink colored demon dogs spewing plumes of fire.

When they reached the top, the leading hound pounced at the two warriors in the front.

The Warrior dashed forward, slicing though it as it was in the air, then smashed his shield into the skull of a beast that had rushed him.

Two had lunged at the Monk, and he grabbed both by their throats, then slammed them into the hard floor. Pushing up with his arms, he spun towards another and smashed his heels into its back. Two had leapt at him, mouths open, when two blasts of ice magic shot through their maws, launching them backwards and shattering their frozen bodies on the tiles.

The Templar leapt off his barrier, and swung his blade through the necks of two hounds that had run around the Warrior.

The Warrior was circled by five of them. One lunged, and he slashed through it, severing its foreleg. Two more rushed him. He rammed his sword down the throat of one, and quickly raised his shield, the jaws of the second beast caught around it. Jerking his sword free, he sank it into its ribcage. While he was preoccupied, the other dogs rushed him. A blast of ice magic stopped the one at his rear in its track, courtesy of the Magus, but the other jumped him. He brought his shield up to protect his head and neck as it knocked him to the ground, its chest on the shield. It snarled and bit at him, but a knife lodged itself into the side of its head, silencing it. He shoved the beast off him, jerked the knife free and tossed it back to its owner, the Scout.

The Monk caught the neck of one of them between his knee and elbow, breaking it. He spun around and kicked a dog in the stomach, launching it away until it smack against the floor. He shot towards another beast, wrapped its arm around its midsection and squeezed until he heard the snapping of bones.

Two hellhounds rushed towards the two spellcasters. The Templar nodded at his companion. Two fireballs shot forth from the elf's weapon. They shot forward and were intercepted by two ice spells from the Magus. The spells reacted violently and exploded, catching the two hellhounds and killing them.

The final beast gave a cry and lunged at the Warrior. He spun around it and cut it cleanly in half.

Then the battle paused, all twenty hellhounds lying dead on the floor.

_That wasn't so bad_, the Devout thought. _I didn't have to do anything_. _Kinda gruesome though_…

Then she heard the clanking of armor, and knew that the true battle had only started.

* * *

><p>The Warrior panted, standing above the monster corpses, looking to the gateway. He took several steps back to regroup with his allies, as several armored men stepped into sight from the stairway. The Warrior readied himself.<p>

Men in ominous black armor filled into the open space, wearing capes and faceplates obscuring their faces. There was only about as many as there were hellhounds.

_But_, he thought. _These are not beasts_…

When all had filled into the grand hall, nobody moved.

_Why do they not act_? thought the Warrior. Then the sound of heavy steps caught his attention. It came from behind the gathered knights.

An imposing figure stepped up, and the other knights stepped aside for him. He looked much like the others, except for his great height compared to the others, the menacing metal horns on his helm, the blue cape over his shoulders and the large, menacing blade that dragged along the ground.

_Chaos' general_, the Warrior realized.

He spoke, his voice guttural and menacing. "So you are the ones that stand for Cosmos."

Then the man inclined his head, and gazed at the Warrior. "You look familiar somehow. Do I know you?"

"I would not know how I know you, fiend," the Warrior replied, bravely.

The man scoffed. "Have ye a name?" The Warrior said nothing, raising his sword in defiance.

"I suppose not," the man said in a low voice. "I am Garland! Knight of Chaos! And I'll bury you, pitiful warrior!"

Then Garland rushed at the Warrior, swinging his great blade at him.

* * *

><p>When Garland charged at the Warrior, the other three warriors dodged away on instinct. The Monk started towards him, ready to assist, but the Warrior spoke.<p>

"Don't," he said, his voice strained. "I'll handle this."

The Monk was about to protest, when he saw a knight rushing him from the corner of his eye.

He ducked when the knight sung his sword at his head, then sprung back to give him some room. He could see the others already engaging other knights, before focusing back on his adversary.

_I've got no armor, an' 'e's got a blade_, the Monk thought, considering his foe. _He's also got armor, so I've gotta play it safe_.

His foe rushed him again, and dodged to the side of the deadly weapon, and threw a punch at his chest. The Monk shook his hand in pain. The knight stumbled back, but didn't look hurt at all.

The man dashed towards him and swung his blade. The Monk dodged backwards, but the man took a step and swung again. He caught the Monk across the chest. Blood poured from the gash, but he had pulled back enough for it to be non-lethal.

Before either could act, a figure jumped down and jammed a long knife into the gap between the man's helmet and breastplate. The man gurgled and dropped to the ground.

The Scout stepped beside the Monk. Two more knights approached, one with an axe and the other with a sword.

"You have any grappling moves?" asked the Scout, his voice low.

"Yeah?" the Monk said. Then it came to him. "Yeah!"

He ran towards the sword knight, sliding under the man's attack and slammed his arm into the neck of the knight, knocking him off his feet. He brought both his arms up and slammed them down on his enemy's chest. The breastplate caved under the force, crushing the man's chest. He fell back, unmoving.

* * *

><p>The Scout dodged around the swing of his foe's axe.<p>

_Why'd I get the big guy_? He thought. _And he's fast with this thing_.

His foe swung his axe again, down at him. He jumped to the side, ready to attack, but his enemy already had his axe up.

_Gotta find a weakness_, he thought. _Those hand-bombs would be useful… Wait, I got it_!

When the group were preparing, they had found boxes of colored cones that look like the fangs of some fiend. Upon inspection, they were revealed to be items used to imitate a magic spell, producing an effect similar to fire, ice and lightning spells, depending on the color. The Scout had slid a couple into his side pouch.

He swiftly sheathed his daggers and rushed his foe. The knight swung his axe at the Scout's head, but he ducked and pulled a red fang from his pouch. He shot up under the man's guard, shoved the fang into his armor, ignited it and launched himself away in backflip. The fang exploded in a ball of fire. The man gave an inhuman shout in surprise and dropped his axe. He was still standing, the fang not killing him, and the Scout rolled towards the discarded axe. He lifted it and swung, embedding the blade into the knight's hip, felling him.

The Scout panted. _That was exhilarating_, he thought. He saw two more knights approaching him.

_No time for rest_.

* * *

><p>The Templar faced two knights, both swordsmen. He studied their armor, looking for a weak point.<p>

_No luck_, he conceded. _I'll have to go for the eyes or the mail_.

One moved to attack, stabbing at him. He parried it and stabbed back, the tip striking the armor and doing no damage. Both men leapt back.

_They're being surprisingly chivalrous_, he observed. _They could all rush us and trample us underfoot_.

He glanced towards where the invaders had gathered earlier. Between him and the opening, where the majority of knights stood, Garland and the Warrior were engaged in a fierce duel.

_That might explain it_, he thought, then focused back on his foes.

His two enemies grouped and rushed him. He brought his shield up in defense and blocked.

The sword of the one closest to him bounced back, and he quickly capitalized on it, slashing at the joint of his shoulder. Unfortunately, it served no purpose, as the blade stopped. The other swiftly retaliated, cutting into his torso.

The elf grimaced and promptly leapt back, putting space between them. His foes chuckled darkly.

_I've got to cut through that armor of theirs_, he thought, panting. _I won't last long like this_. _Wait! Stupid! Magic_!

He started chanting under his breath, conjuring a spell. Then he dashed forward and locked blades with one of his foes. He released a thunder spell up the length of his sword and down the arm of the other. The man thrashed and dropped his blade, stumbling. He thrust his blade into the visor of his disabled foe.

The Templar turned to the other knight and smiled grimly. "Shall we go?"

* * *

><p>The Magus was a bit separated from his allies battling the enemy mages.<p>

When the knights had filled the hall, he noticed that four in the rear didn't have swords or axes, but long rods. He immediately identified them as mages, and tried his best to lure them towards him.

All five of them were off towards the west side of the hall, tossing spells back and forth.

_Maybe this wasn't such a good idea_, the Magus thought. _I am seriously screwed_. _If I had someone to cover me, I could take them out, but all I can do now is_ _block_.

His foes had finally thought it a good tactic to coordinate their actions, and they shot two fire spells at the same time.

_Hell_, he thought, seeing the large cloud of fire. _Ice ice ice ice ice_.

The ice spell was eaten by the large ball, though. It continued to fly across the room at him.

Before it could hit him, however, a swirling shield burst to life around him, and the spell dissipated harmlessly. He turned to see the Devout, staff raised, the afterglow of white magic fading.

_I forgot about her_, he thought, frowning. "What was that?"

"Barfire," she said.

"Think you can keep those up while I prepare a spell?"

"Of course."

He stepped back and started gather his mana. The Devout stepped forward and chanted, conjuring a magical barrier. Several spells hit its surface, but she focused hard, keeping the shield up under assault.

"I'm nearly ready," said the Magus. "Drop it on ten." She nodded, and started counting to herself.

_One… Two… Three… Four… Five… Six… Why couldn't he have picked a smaller number? _She thought. _Seven… Eight… Nine…_ She glanced back at the Magus to make sure he was ready. _Ten!_ She dropped her shield and leapt back, a fireball striking where she stood. The Magus struck the floor with his staff. "Quake!" he shouted.

A ripple of energy shot towards the gathered magicians and caused the floor to erupt underneath them in pillars, launching three of them into the air where the either hit the wall or floor. The fourth was hit in the leg. He hit the ground, but he extended his scepter and another spell. A ball of white-hot fire shot out, rocketing towards them. The Devout shot her staff forward, a barfire shield popping into existence. The enemy spell hit it, and the two spells canceled in a flash.

The Devout dropped to her hands and knees, panting. "Are you okay?" asked the Magus.

"I'm fine. Holding the shields drained me."

"Can you move?"

"Yes. Let's help the others."

* * *

><p>When Garland had attacked him, the Warrior had elected to block. He regretted that decision, slightly. The weight of the weapon and the strength and height of Garland nearly caused his legs to buckle.<p>

With a mighty heave, he had pushed Garland's blade to the side. Garland growled at him and swung his blade. He met it with his shield, and his arm nearly broke.

"You are in far over your head. You should lie down and die," Garland taunted. The Warrior gritted his teeth and attacked him.

Garland parried his attacks with the side of his sword. The man swung his blade down at him, and he leapt back, out of its range. Garland pointed the tip of his sword at the Warrior and rushed forward. He was about to parry it away when the whole sword telescoped and hit him on his side, knocking the wind out of him. It scraped around his armor and shoved his arm to the side. Garland slung the whole thing, picking him up and tossing him away until he hit the ground and slid.

He tried to rise to his feet, but collapsed. Quick footsteps approached, and he saw the Devout rushing towards him. She knelt down and green light washed over him, his aching body healing. He pushed himself up with more success this time and noticed his companions surround him. Garland scoffed.

"It won't do you any good," he said. "I'll still grind you into dust. Kill them all."

The knights behind him charged. The Warrior burst forward to intercept them.

Garland leapt over the wall of knights and slammed his sword into the ground. "I'll be your executioner."

Garland swung at him. The Warrior ducked and stabbed, the weapon not piercing through the plate armor. _Useless_, the Warrior thought.

* * *

><p>The Devout grimaced. <em>This is a nightmare<em>, she thought. The others, save for her and the Magus, were currently engaged in combat with the knights.

"Can't we do something more productive?" she asked the Magus, who was standing beside her, staff raised, casting spells when he could get a clear shot.

"We are," he said, not sounding particularly sure of himself.

"Yes, but my healing spells can only fix so much," she nearly shouted, the unspoken implications clear.

The Magus sighed, but said nothing. She closed her eyes and turned away.

_Think and recall. Recall _something_ the way I did the healing and protective spells. Focus!_ She was nearly in tears, she focused so hard. _Something to help. Something to help my allies. To save us all!_

Her hands flew up, holding her staff, and she chanted: "By the justice of Alexander! Holy!"

Light shot from her staff and flowed through the air. They condensed into pearly balls of light and spun out. They shot towards the collective fighters before bombing the black knights. White light flashed from the knight, and guttural screams echoed out. Several of them, most of them, burned away at the divine light, their armor and weapons clattering empty and useless on the tile floor. It didn't destroy all the evil warriors, but reduced them to less than half their remaining number.

The Devout smiled hazily, and stumbled before tipping back. The Magus barely caught her as she fell.

* * *

><p>Several orbs struck Garland, but they did little more than make him stumble back. The man growled and looked at his paltry numbers. "Stupid wench. I'll kill her slowly."<p>

The Warrior froze, staring at the vicious general. _Light_, he realized. _That was light_. _I can gather the power to myself. I had forgotten_…

He held his sword out and focused. _Light… give me strength!_

Instantly, his sword glowed bright silver. He looked at Garland, determined and renewed.

"To Cosmos, we shall bring victory," he said, his tone steely.

"Don't be foolish," Garland said.

The two rushed each other, locking their swords. Instead of buckling like before, the Warrior stood even with Garland. The general gave a bit in surprise. The Warrior capitalized and pushed harder, pushing the great sword aside. The Warrior brought his shield to bear smashing the shield into Garland's stomach.

"It is time to bring an end to this, demon," he said, as his shield started to glow bright. "Shine! Shield of Light!"

The light expanded and forced its way out from his shield, blasting through Garland's breastplate and searing him. He roared in anger and pain, even as he flew back, through the great entrance, over the stairs and beyond sight. He heard the sound of metal smacking against stone, then a tumbling noise. Garland had seemingly hit the stairs and rolled down them.

_To his death, I hope_, the Warrior thought. He looked around. His allies stood, beaten but alive, among the corpses of their fallen foes.

He took a step and realized how exhausted he was. As he stumbled over his own feet, he smiled.

_At least we are alive… _he thought as he fell into unconsciousness.


	5. Respecting the Dead

Respecting the Dead

The Warrior groggily awakened. He blinked a few times and looked around. He was lying on a makeshift cot, which was a pile of cloth.

_What happened?_ he thought. _The battle!_

He swiftly gazed around the room. He was in the great hall, but no enemies were in sight, alive or otherwise. He looked to his left. The Devout lay on another cot a few paces away, her robe rolled up and under head, still sleeping. He rose up and walked towards a nearby crate. His weapons and supplies lay on the box.

_I passed out_, he recalled, staring at his sword. _I'm still alive, so our foes fled or were defeated_.

"Awake at least, eh?" a voice said. His head shot up. The Magus was approaching him, some things in his hand.

"What is going on?"

"Straight to business," the man said, placing his items on the crate across from him. He offered a bottle of liquid. "Drink this. After you passed out, we made short work of the remaining thugs."

"What happened to her?" asked the Warrior, gesturing to the sleeping Devout.

"Magic exhaustion," the Magus replied simply.

"I see. And after I passed out?"

"We beat the knights, like I said, and then cheered, mostly. Gathered you two up and applied some medicine and stuff. Cosmos appeared and thanked us so sincerely, I was surprised."

"What happened to the remains of our foes?" asked the Warrior.

"Well she," he jerked his head to the Devout, "vaporized six or seven. We debated about what to do with the bodies. I thought we should just vaporize them and be done with, but the Monk said something about respecting the dead, and insisted we give them a proper sendoff. Cosmos agreed, and the Templar said if he'd do it, that's fine. Cosmos showed him someplace he could carry out the task, so that's that. Oh. And the Scout decided that we might as well keep the armor and weapons. It's in the storeroom."

The Warrior nodded. "And Garland?" The Magus froze and didn't say anything for a moment.

"We checked," he said quietly. "There was no body. Just a few bits of broken metal and that thing," he gestured over to a crate.

The Warrior walked towards it. There sat the horned helm that Garland wore, one of the horns bent. He picked it up.

"Why is it still here?" he asked, staring at it.

"Thought you might want to do something with it."

"No. Dispose of it," the Warrior said, dropping it and walking away.

"Right," said the Magus. The crate and helm burst into flames.

"Where are the others?" the Warrior asked.

"The Scout and the Templar are in the storeroom. I was here to watch over you guys."

"Hey guys…?" a sleepy voice said. They looked to the Devout, who was sitting up rubbing her eyes.

"What happened?" she asked.

"You passed out on us. That was dangerous, casting that spell. You could have killed yourself."

"Did we win, though?"

"Yes," answered the Warrior. "How do you fair?"

"Fine," she answered. "Where are the others?"

"Storeroom," said the Magus. "We can go to them."

"Yes."

* * *

><p>When the three arrived, it appeared that the Monk and the Scout were arguing. The Templar leaned against a wall, ignoring them.<p>

"-it's respectful!" shouted the Monk.

"I don't care! These guys tried to kill us!" the Scout shouted back. "I don't even want to do this."

"What seems to be the problem?" the Warrior asked the elf.

"The Monk wanted to bury the enemy soldiers, but after speaking with Cosmos, he decided on some cremation ritual she told him about. He's already constructed the things necessary, but now he wants the weapons they used. Said it's a part of the ritual."

"And what do you think?"

"I don't particularly want to do this at all, but if he wants to, I won't stop him."

"I agree," said the Magus. "But I don't see why he would go through all the trouble for a bunch guys who tried to kill us."

"Yeah, it seems silly," agreed the Devout.

"I am not sure of his reasoning," decided the Warrior. "Perhaps if we questioned him, we would understand."

The two men were now throwing vulgar insults at each other. The Warrior broke them up.

"Now," he said. "Before this devolves into a fist fight, what is the problem? Speak one at a time."

"This guy wants to bury those guys with their weapons," the Scout said, scowling.

"And you?" the Warrior directed at the Monk.

"Cosmos took me to some open area near hear. Was gonna bury them, but the ground's frozen," said the Monk. "She told me about how some warriors in some place used to cremate their dead, and I decided that sounded good."

"And you need the weapons for this?"

The Monk shrugged. "It's part of the ritual."

"What does this ritual entail?"

"You take the dead and their things, put them on a wood raft, pile firewood on top, send 'em sailing and light it on fire."

"You need a water source for that, right?" asked the Templar.

"Found a lake. Big one," the Monk said.

The Warrior lifted one of the swords the knights would use. It felt heavy in his hand. "How many of you would wield this type of weapon?"

He tossed it the Scout. The man caught it but the weapon nearly slipped from his hand.

"I don't," said the Warrior. "None of you, either. We have no need for them. I want to know, however, why you intend to carry this out."

"It's not right, disrespectin' the dead. Even if they're our enemies, they're dead. We should treat them like we would anybody who's died. "'Sides," he continued. "I don't take that Garland guy for the type to respect the dead, ally or no. And these guys don't look the best. They should be pitied and respected."

The Warrior nodded.

"I guess that seems reasonable, when you say that," conceded the Devout.

The Warrior looked at the other three. "What do you think?"

"That makes since," said the Magus. "I'll go along." The Templar inclined his head in agreement.

The Scout dropped the sword and kicked it lightly. "Whatever."

"Very well," said the Warrior. He turned to the Monk. "Do as you wish."

"Thanks."

"In the meantime, I wish to go speak with Cosmos," said the Warrior.

"No need, Warrior, I am here."

* * *

><p>The Goddess walked into the room. The Warrior started to bow, but she waved him off.<p>

"No need," she said. "You have all saved my life. I do not require you to do such things. What is it you wish to ask me?"

"With Garland and his men defeated, is that the end of Chaos's forces?"

"No. He has many more. But Garland is his most devoted general."

"Then I take it he is not dead," said the Warrior.

"No. He has fled."

"I see," he said. "If so, I suppose the threat to yourself - and by extension, us - has not dissipated entirely."

"No."

"I must ask, in the case we did win this, which we did, what were you planning to do?" asked the Templar.

"I will not lie. I had hoped you all would help me. However, I have more options now, so I will seek out assistance elsewhere."

"There are other people alive?" asked the Devout.

"There is a small kingdom still untouched. I recommend you go there."

"Speaking of which," said the Magus. "How does Chaos operate? You say this kingdom is untouched. What does that mean?"

Cosmos sat in a chair.

"It is warded here, but this world is full of something called Mist," she said. "It is a fog-like substance produced by crystals. Many mages channel it to use magic. It can have a variety of effects on the environment. In large concentrations, it can force airships down. They are often found around the crystals that produce it.

"The forces of Chaos take control of a land by corrupting a crystal, causing the Mist to take the qualities of whatever they need. On the outer edge of a controlled region, they turn it into a poisonous miasma, killing anybody who breathes it. Towards the middle of the regions, where people often gather, it is dark and oppressive, sapping the wills of the people. This makes them easier to enslave, often for labor."

"That seems excessive," said the Templar "Why not treat those conquered fairly?"

"Most the individuals who lead the armies, like Garland, are megalomaniacs. Others despise mortal life, or think themselves above it."

"So not the nicest of guys, then," concluded the Scout.

"What about their forces? Are they all like what we faced earlier?" asked the Monk.

"The Black Knights you faced make up a small portion of Chaos's forces, most under Garland. These are men and women of much the same disposition of their leaders. For the most part, though, they employ the Southern Tribes."

"And they are?" the Monk enquired

"People that live below the equator, which serves as the dividing line between my lands and Chaos's. The people of the north in general refer to them, often condescendingly, as beastmen."

"And what makes them do this?" asked the Devout.

"They are not like humans and elves that live near here," she stated. "They are much more animal-like in form, and their societies differ greatly, often being tribal in nature, so they are considered violent and unintelligent."

"Which that leads to prejudice and that leads to certain skilled at manipulating others persuading them to fight," concluded the Templar. Cosmos nodded.

"Exactly," she said. "Besides all that, they enslave or train wild fiends, such as the hellhounds that attacked you."

"Where can I find more about the southerners?" asked the Magus.

"The library, four floors above you."

"Is there any way to reverse the effects of the corrupted crystals?" the Warrior asked.

"I am not entirely certain, as of yet," she said.

"I see."

* * *

><p>"Say, my lady," said the Scout. "How do you get to that little kingdom you said was still around?"<p>

"The way Garland came is the cave, but that is a three days walk," Cosmos said. "But I can create a teleport stone that will take you there. Would you like to go now?"

"No, no, that's fine," he said. "Maybe later…"

"Very well."

The group, save for the Monk, had decided to move to the library. Cosmos had said it was far more comfortable than the storage room, and the Magus was interested it what it had on its shelves.

The Monk, meanwhile, had gone back to where the funeral was, taking a bundle of weapons with him and said that he would join them later.

The Devout stepped beside Cosmos. "Excuse me," she said. "But I wish to know why the prejudice was so bad between your people and Chaos's, if you both held a balance."

Cosmos smiled at her. "Really, they aren't my people so much as they live in my realm."

"Oh. Sorry," said the Devout sheepishly.

"No matter. And I'm not sure why it is," Cosmos confessed. "Before this war, the beastmen barely crossed the equator. Especially when many of the northern races do not look human."

"Oh, I see," the Devout said thoughtfully.

* * *

><p>The library was indeed much more comfortable than the storeroom. Instead of the white walls, high ceilings and crystal floors of the rest of the temple, it had thick red carpet, a lower ceiling and a maze of wooden bookshelves which made it much cozier than the rest of the place.<p>

The group had found a reading area of the library, complete with a fireplace. Cosmos had excused herself when they arrived at the library, so it only left the five. The Magus was off, looking through old of tomes in search of information on the beastmen.

The Templar, hat and cape set aside since awakening, was stoking the fire. The Devout sat in a comfortable chair; her robe removed and hung on a convenient hook. The Scout sat in a chair across from her, leaning forward with his hands clasped. The Warrior had elected to stand for the moment, but his sword and shield lay on a table. It was quiet, save for the crackling fire and the distant shuffling of the Magus.

"So," started the Scout. "The battle earlier. I'd say it went a little easier than expected."

"Garland had obviously not expected much resistance," said the Templar, not looking up from the fire. "He faced living, thinking foes as opposed to Cosmos's other, seemingly non-living servants. Had he known we existed, he would have brought more or stronger troops and we would have lost."

Everyone drew quiet again, retreating to their thoughts. After a while, the Magus quietly slipped into the reading area with two large tomes in his arms. He placed one down on a table, sat down and started reading the other. Eventually, the Templar grew tired of gazing into the fire, and sat down in a chair.

After many more minutes of quiet, the Monk finally appeared, wrapped in a wool jacket and woven hat on his head. He sat down in a chair next to the Devout and removed the coat and hat.

"Cold out there?" asked the Devout.

"Aye." He said. She nodded. A moment passed, and she caught a whiff of something.

"Why do you smell like wood smoke?"

"Eh? Oh!" he said. "Had to make a fire to see."

"Night has fallen?" the Warrior asked, speaking up.

"Ah, naw. Been that way all day."

"Preposterous," said the Magus. "It was bright as midday earlier, during the battle. Wait, how long has it been since we woke up?"

"Well, that's the thing. Turns out this is the North Pole, so it's been nighttime for a long while. And we supposedly woke up real early this mornin', so it's 'bout, late afternoon, I think. And the light earlier is the temple grounds bein' lit up by a big ol' crystal."

"Ah."

"Have you finished the funeral?" asked the Templar.

"Naw. 'Sposed to wait 'till night, officially."

"I thought it was night," said the Magus.

"Night accordin' to the clock. Ac't'ly, was wondering if you would like to come and attend tonight."

"I thought you said it was the arctic out there," said the Scout. "Should we really be out in the weather?"

"That's the funny thing. It's works different up here, in Cosmos's sanctuaries. And there're winter clothes in the storeroom."

"Huh."

"I would like to attend," announced the Warrior. The Devout looked at him, then at the Monk.

"I'll go too," she said. The Monk grinned at her and nodded his head in thanks.

The Scout grunted. "Might as well see what this's about."

The Magus and the Templar said nothing. It grew quiet again. The Devout looked at the Warrior again, who was leaning against the back of a chair. "What are you thinking about?" she asked quietly.

He glanced at her, glanced around, and then moved to sit in the chair. She raised an eyebrow.

He leaned on his hand, looked at her and started to speak, his voice quiet: "What Cosmos told us earlier. About how the world is being controlled by people like Garland and others of his ilk."

"Oh," she acknowledged simply. He continued.

"We have stopped Garland this time, but he is not dead. He will come again, with more troops."

"What are you thinking of doing, then?"

"If we could somehow undo the effects of the miasma, perhaps we could stall them. Drive them back," said the Warrior, contemplatively. "Maybe rescue the enslaved peoples. Form some defenders or armies. Maybe try to turn the southern tribes away from war."

"That's stupid," said the Scout, quietly. He was leaning forward, his eyes on the ground. "You're thinking about going to war with Chaos and all his forces. We aren't generals or kings."

"But aren't we at war anyway?" asked the Templar. "We stood against Garland, supposedly Chaos' right hand. He's not just going to throw in the towel. He'll be back, angry and with an entire fighting force worth of soldiers. And we can't stop that here."

"Who says we have to remain here?" asked the Scout.

"And go where?" countered the Warrior. "There is a small kingdom, yes, but that will not protect us. Garland still comes with his armies and we still die."

The Scout snorted, but didn't say anything for a moment. "If we do start an army," he said quietly. "We can't just go in and say: 'Hey, I'm here to start an army, let's go fight'. We need allies. People with power: kings, presidents, emperors and chieftains. And we need resources. Weapons and armor, medicines, food, crops. And we need land; we need pastures, lakes, farms, livestock, mines, forges, craftsmen. Money. You can't just put together a band of soldiers and expect everything else to fall into place."

Everyone quieted. The Warrior finally spoke: "Then we make allies. If we can free up the corrupted regions and save the peoples, we can earn their respect, their friendship."

"It might work, but I doubt it'll be so simple," said the Templar. "What do you think, you three?" He looked at the Monk, Magus and Devout.

"Helpin' people is right, but I'm no diplomat. I'll fight, if asked," said the Monk. The Templar nodded.

"And you?" he asked the Magus. "I know you don't particularly want to fight."

"No, I don't," the man said promptly, slamming his book shut. "But the beastmen. They're a miserable lot. Or, rather, they have a miserable lot. I agree with you," he said, inclining his head towards the Monk, "helping people is a good thing. Helping these ones, if they'll take, is what I'd like to do."

"The battle earlier was frightening," spoke the Devout without prompt. "I don't particularly like it. But, I'll help you help people. Helping and healing is what I was trained to do. But I won't fight in a war."

"I urge you all," said a new voice. The group looked up to see Cosmos standing behind them. "To consider this course of action longer."

The Warrior started. "Cosmos-"

"No, please wait," she said. "Consider this, each one of you, before you decide to do this thing."

"Are you sure?" said the Magus. "You have no other allies, besides us. Your life hinges on us."

"Yes. And it is a heavy burden." Everyone drew quiet at that. The Warrior nodded, solemnly.

"Very well. We shall be patient with our decision." Everyone else nodded in agreement.

"In the meantime," she said, "the time for the funeral draws close. Perhaps you should all eat, then go. I shall meet you there."

"Where do we eat in this place?" asked the Scout.

* * *

><p>It was cold at the lake where the funeral was being held.<p>

_But it should be colder_, thought the Warrior, wrapped in a long jacket. _It looks less like the North Pole than the far north_.

Despite the frost, evergreens stood tall around the seven people there. After eating, the warriors had found some winter clothing and proceeded to where the funeral was to take place. Cosmos, it seemed, did not need any form of protective clothing.

The Monk had led them out of the temple area and into the woods, where the visibility dropped dramatically. They had arrived at a small beach of a massive lake. A multitude of lit torches circled the area, and a fire pit burned bright near the middle of the clearing. A line of what looked like rowboats sat near the shore.

The group stood around the fire, trying to stay warm. The Devout was the closest, huddled down near it. The Monk was talking with the Scout and Templar, gesturing while holding what looked to be a bundle of sticks in his hand. Cosmos and the Magus quietly stood around the fire, staring into it.

The Warrior glanced at the boats again. He strode over to them.

_They are indeed rowboats_, he surmised. _Where all these in the temple? What are these for?_

Then he saw the answer. In each boat was one of the remaining knights, reequipped in their armor, save for their helms, each lying in a stack of chopped wood.

_Firewood, perhaps?_ He wondered. He eyes moved to the faces of the knights. He grimaced. The head of the one he was looking at was shaved completely bald, and several dark tattoos marked his face and head. The man's face looked inhumanly distorted.

_Is this the effects of serving Chaos, perhaps?_ He thought. _Do all of his servants look as such? Perhaps it's a good thing to show mercy to these men, if this is there lot._

He turned away and walked back to the fire. The Monk glanced at him and strode to meet him.

"Can you use one o' these?" he asked, holding the sticks he had earlier, which turned out to be a bow and a handful of arrows.

"I do not believe so," said the Warrior, studying them. "Are they necessary?"

"I 'spose, but I cou-"

"Pardon," a voice interrupted. They looked up to see Cosmos walking towards them. "But I am capable of wielding a bow."

"Oh," said the Monk. "You sure?"

She nodded. "Y'know what to do, right?" he asked.

She nodded again. "'Kay," he said. "Here."

She took the weapon. "Shall we begin?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, and then turned to the others. "Hey guys!"

They looked up and walked over. When they arrived, the Monk spoke again.

"I guess no one has anythin' to say, right?" he asked and looked at the group. Nobody said anything.

"Right. Let's start," he said.

He walked to the boats and pushed one into the water. It started to float away and Cosmos notched an arrow (which magically lit aflame), aimed, and fired. The burning missile flew across the shimmering lake and struck the floating casket. It burst into flame and continued floating across the water. The Monk and Cosmos repeated the process with the next casket.

_Any one of these men_, the Warrior thought, observing as the burning caskets floated across the lake, _could have had a hand in ending the life of everyone in this world_.

He furrowed his brows. _And one of them escaped. Garland still lives, and he most certainly has not given up_.

"Cosmos," he said, gaining the attention of the Goddess.

"Yes?" she replied.

"Tomorrow," he started. "I wish to visit that kingdom you spoke of. Will that be acceptable?"

"Yes, of course."


	6. The City of Dreams

The City of Dreams

The six warriors stood at the mouth of the cave, overlooking rolling green fields. It was early morning, and the warriors of Cosmos had departed from her Shrine.

"It's beautiful," said the Devout. "And it's nice and warm down here."

"I believe I see towers in the distance," stated the Templar, pointing to several towers, looking small as needles from where they stood, jutting out of the fields.

"It's our only option, I guess," stated the Scout. "It's not far, really, but it'll be a couple of hours walk."

"I'll take anything over spending time in that temple," said the Magus.

"Very well, let us go," said the Warrior.

* * *

><p>Several hours later, after crossing the rolling green fields, the Warrior crested a hill and stopped. The castle was much closer, and he saw a large town surrounded it. It was, however, still several miles away. The Templar stepped next to him.<p>

"So that's it, then," he stated. The Warrior nodded.

"I believe it would be prudent," he said, "that we approach from somewhere besides the north."

"Good idea," interrupted the Scout. "If they're on alert for attacks, we'll need to be as inconspicuous as possible."

"Then let's start looping around and come in from the east," said the Templar. The others nodded in agreement.

* * *

><p>The eastern gate stood before them, a muddy road leading out from it. Several haggard looking people moved in and out of the city, along the road. Two worn looking guards with spears stood on either side of the gate.<p>

The Templar tipped his hat at them as he approached the gate. The two men studied the group warily as they approached. After studying them, they seemed satisfied.

"Welcome to Cornelia," the one on the left stated in a tired voice. "Please register into the guardhouse inside."

"Very well," replied the Templar.

After they walked through the gate and found the guardhouse, the Devout whispered to him: "They look exhausted and tense."

He nodded and they entered the building. On the inside a crowd of all kinds of people, from peasants to merchantmen to warriors, stood and sat. Several men with parchment and pen sat behind tables, speaking to other newcomers. The Templar's sensitive ears picked up what they were saying.

"They're asking for names," he told the others, who had found a corner by the door to stand in. "What do we tell them?"

"Think of something," answered the Warrior. "You can handle this."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure whatever you say will be fine," said the Devout. The Magus and Monk nodded.

"Just get your story straight," said the Scout, "And don't forget anything important."

"Right," he said and furrowed his brows in thought. _Names, names_…

"Next!" one of the officials called. The Templar quickly strode forward and stood before him. The official eyed him warily like the guards out front for a moment.

"Name?" the man asked.

"Joshua," the Templar replied, easily.

"You in a group with them?" the man asked, nodding to the others.

"Yes."

"Their names?"

"Caleb, Isaac, Abigail, Ethan and Nathaniel."

"Where do you come from?"

"We're a small mercenary group," started the Templar. "We've been traveling, being hired as guides and bodyguards and such. Decided to come here."

"You look a bit clean, for travelers," said the man skeptically.

"We had surprisingly little trouble."

The man shrugged. "Whatever. You're all done. Just remember, no funny business. We've been on high alert, and we won't stop to ask questions if the guards catch you up to something."

"Of course."

"Oh, one more thing," the man said. "If you're mercenaries, you plannin' on joining the city guard?"

"Most likely," replied the Templar. "But some rest is in order, at the moment."

* * *

><p>"So what's the news?" asked the Scout.<p>

"The basic 'who-are-you-why-are-you-here' questions," replied the Templar. "Oh, and I'm Joshua. You," he nodded to the Scout, "are Isaac, You're Caleb," he told the Warrior. "You are Abigail, Ethan and Nathaniel," he told the Devout, Monk and the Magus, respectively.

The others mulled it over. "Whatever," said the Scout, shrugging. "Let's find someplace to eat."

"How about over there?" asked the Magus, gesturing to what looked like a pub.

"That's fine," replied the Scout and the group moved to enter.

The inside looked like any pub. Several round tables sat in the large room and the counter was at the back.

_Less people than there should be_, the Scout thought. "Let's find a table," he told the others.

"That one in the corner should be fine," said the Magus. The others nodded and walked to the table.

"I'll get some food and drinks," said the Scout and walked to the bar. He stepped to the counter.

"What d'ya got?" he asked the bartender.

"Donkey piss," the man said simply. The Scout blinked.

"Really?"

The other man shrugged. "Might as well be."

"Then I'll take six- wait," he stopped. "Five glasses. You have anything besides donkey piss?"

"Ah, water?" the man said, thinking about it.

"Then one glass of water," confirmed the Scout "And what do you have for food?"

"Some stale bread," the man said. The Scout raised an eyebrow.

"That's all?"

The man shrugged. "The whole city's on rations, just about."

"Fine," conceded the Scout. "Five beers, one water and six loaves of stale bread."

The bartender raised an eyebrow. "What now?" asked the Scout, irritated.

"That's pretty pricey. You sure?"

The Scout patted the money punch on his belt. "Yes," he said.

The man shrugged again. "Fine. Five hundred gil per glass of beer and bread loaf. Fifty five hundred gil."

The Scout dug out two coins, a gold one and a silver octagon, and dropped them on the counter. The man raised an eyebrow but took the gil.

"Take it to my table," said the Scout as he walked away.

As he sat down, the Warrior subtly gestured across the room.

"Those men," he said, "have been eyeing you. You should show more subtlety here."

"We can take 'em," said the Monk. The Warrior shook his head.

"I would like to avoid any fights, if possible," he said.

"Eh, I guess," the Monk replied.

Before anyone could say anything more, they heard screams and shouting outside. The Warrior shot from his seat and dashed outside.

The others glanced at each other in bewilderment. The Devout sighed and rose from her seat, the others following.

* * *

><p>The Warrior saw a crowd of people as he stepped out of the bar. All the people had their backs to him, looking at something going on in the street. The sound of someone shouting and the cries of several people met his ears.<p>

He pushed his way through the throng of people and stopped behind the front line of people. He could see several reddish-brown human-like creatures in robes standing over a handful of guards. The lead creature was shouting down at a man in a language he could not interpret.

"Who are they?" the Warrior asked a man next to him.

"It's Astos's dark elf soldiers," the man answered, whispering. "They just appeared and smacked around some soldiers."

"I see," said the Warrior, before realizing the lead dark elf had switched to a language he could understand.

"-stupid human! Now I demand you take us to the castle!" The dark elf kicked the man beneath him in the ribs.

The Warrior laid his hand on the hilt of his sword and pushed the man in front of him out of the way. Before anybody could react, the Warrior shot forward, sword drawn, and slashed at the lead dark elf. The creature barely jumped back out of the way.

"What?" he shouted. He straightened up, and two of his armed underlings stepped between them, spears bared. "Kill 'im!" the creature demanded.

The two spearmen shot forward, spears pointed forward.

_Clumsy_, he thought. He jumped to the side and swung his sword down, cutting though the wooden shafts of the spears. His two attackers stumbled forward and in two quick slashes they fell to the ground, dead. He glanced up and saw two more, these chanting spells quietly.

Before he could act to stop them, bolts of lightning struck the two dark elf mages, and they crumpled to the ground. He looked to see the Magus and the Templar with their weapons extended.

"I don't think so," said the Magus quietly.

The Monk dashed by, towards the remaining four dark elves. He delivered a deadly punch to the first's stomach, elbowed the next in the neck and knocked over the other two with a kick, all in one motion.

The lead dark elf turned to run, but the Scout stood there, daggers drawn.

"You're not going anywhere."

The Warrior rose and sheathed his sword. Beside him, he could see the Devout administering healing magic to the fallen soldiers. He walked towards where the Scout had the dark elf at knifepoint.

"You're a fool!" cackled the dark elf. "When we don't return to Lord Astos, he's gonna siege this place and kill all of you! He was being merciful, letting you live until now!"

"Is your master a subordinate of Chaos?" asked the Warrior, ignoring his outburst.

"W-what?" the creature stuttered. "Yes. Of course he is!"

"Then I take it your master is tasked with finding the crystal of these lands," the Warrior stated. "And he hasn't."

The dark elf look at him, confused. The Warrior glanced at the Scout and gestured. The Scout clubbed the dark elf in the head, knocking him out.

One of the soldiers walked towards them, rubbing his head. He looked around at the fallen elves, and then up at the Warrior.

"Wow, you guys," he started, shocked. "You took them out no problem. Thanks."

"Our pleasure," said the Templar. The man looked around again.

"Um, maybe you guys should come with me to the castle and see the Princess."

* * *

><p>The halls of the castle were grand. As the soldier, whose name was Biggs and turned out to be Captain of the Guard, led them down the bustling halls.<p>

The Devout looked around at them. "Um, I have a question."

"Ah, yeah?" replied Biggs.

"Is it normal for the castle to be like this?" she asked.

"Well, normally not, but ever since the war and the death of the King, the Princess transformed parts of the castle into things for the war, like a hospital and food storage."

"Is there no queen?" asked the Magus.

"Ah, there is, but she's fallen terribly ill, after the king died," he said. "The elder princess, Princess Sarah, has taken up the reigns of Cornelia."

The approached a set of double doors, with two guards standing at them. Upon seeing Biggs, they saluted and stepped aside. He stopped and turned to them.

"I'm going to need you guys to leave your weapons here," he said. They nodded and disarmed themselves without word.

After that, Biggs turned and pushed the doors open, and they entered.

It was a long audience chamber with a red carpet. At the far end sat an elevated throne and a figure in white.

"You all know the proper etiquette, right?" whispered Biggs. The Warrior nodded in reply. "Good."

They approached the dais, and there sat a young woman in white and green with green hair. The captain stopped at the steps and kneeled. The group kneeled similarly.

"Good day, Captain Biggs," she said. "Who are these people?"

"Ah, earlier there was an attack in the city by another one of Astos's raiding parties. These people stopped them, Your Majesty."

She blinked. "I… see," was all she said for a moment. "What are your names?"

The Warrior responded first: "I am Caleb," he said, using the alias the Templar had thought of. "And these are my comrades."

"Well, thank you, Caleb. It was a very brave thing you did earlier."

"If I may, Your Majesty," said the Templar. "What is so threatening about this 'Astos'? His men weren't very dangerous."

"That is just the thing," she said. "None of my men have been able to stand against any more than one dark elf. The fact that you stopped them is surprising, to say the least."

She stood up. "Is there any way I could repay you? Within reason, of course. We do not have as many resources as we used to."

The Warrior rose. "May speak to my comrades for a moment, Your Majesty?"

"Of course."

He turned to his companions and they all walked a bit away.

"This could be what need, if you recall what we talked about in the library," said the Templar.

"I seem to recall Cosmos said that we should think on that decision," said the Warrior.

"Yes, well, I'm sure all of us have already decided," replied the Magus.

"The most important matter would be to ask the princess if we could assist her," said the Scout. "Joining her army would be a jumpstart."

"Then we could go get rid 'o that Astos guy," said the Monk.

The Devout raised her hand. "I'd like to see if I could help at the hospital," she said.

"Very well," said the Warrior. "I will speak with the Princess."

* * *

><p>When Caleb and his companions moved to speak, Princess Sarah gestured for Captain Biggs to join her on the dais.<p>

"Captain," she whispered to him. "What did you gather about them? What do you think they want?"

"I don't know, princess," he said, scratching his head. "They're not a talkative bunch. But if I'd have to guess, money. Food, maybe."

She sighed. "I think we can scavenge up a few hundred thousand gil to satisfy them. It's not a total loss, provided they're not working for Astos."

She saw the red-haired man, Caleb, approaching them. She straightened up and smiled. He gave a short bow.

"You Majesty," he said.

"What is your request?" she asked, dreading the answer.

"We would like to join you in your war efforts, if that is possible."

"What."

* * *

><p>Princess Sarah of Cornelia strode determinedly down the hall of her castle, Captain Biggs behind her. The six enigmatic mercenaries that fought off the dark elves followed behind him, their red-haired leader, Caleb, a step behind the Captain. He had requested to speak with her in a more private area, so she decided to bring them to her office.<p>

_Something is not right about these fellows_, she thought.

Sarah paused at the door to her office and turned to the group. "Shall we go in?" she asked them, smiling as politely as she could.

Caleb spoke up: "Yes, Your Majesty. However, some of my comrades would like to return to the city." Three of the men nodded.

"Very well," she said. She turned to the guard at her office door. "Please escort them outside." The man nodded and gestured to the three, then started down the hall. The woman in white hesitated for a moment.

"I'd like to visit the hospital, if that'd be alright, your Majesty," she said. Sarah nodded and called to the guard. "Please escort this woman to the hospital as well." The guard stopped and the group waited for the woman in white catch up with them before continuing.

Sarah returned her attention to the remaining two men. "Now shall we go in?"

They nodded. Biggs opened the door for the princess. She stepped in first, and he followed. The two men, in turn, followed Biggs.

The room was a rectangle and had tall, wooden bookshelves along the walls on her left and right. Her desk sat at the far end, a comfortable but regal chair behind it. Two chairs sat in front of the desk.

She inhaled the scent of old books, paper and ink as she walked to her desk. This place was where the future of Cornelia hinged. She sat and gestured to the chairs across from her. The two men sat down.

"So," Sarah started, hands clasped before her. "What would you like to discuss? Your pay and ranking, perhaps."

"Actually," the elf said. "I believe we have something much more pressing to speak of."

"Such as?" Sarah asked them, raising her eyebrows.

"What exactly do you know about the war?" asked Caleb. She shot him a quizzical look.

"It's the beastmen from the far south rising up to conquer us. And some greedy individuals, like Astos, have joined their side."

Caleb was quiet for a moment before replying: "Do you have any advisors or friends you trust? We have some information about this war that goes a bit deeper than any quarrel with the beastmen."

She mulled that over. "I… see. Yes, I have some advisors I would like to include." She turned to Biggs. "Captain, please call for the elders."

* * *

><p>A few moments later, four people had arrived: an elderly blind woman named Matoya, two elderly men, one named Sadda and the other Lukahn, and a middle-aged man with glasses, who Sarah called Doctor Unne.<p>

The Templar and Warrior had given their chairs up, but nobody save the Princess was actually seated.

"So," started Sadda. "What's the situation?"

"These men supposedly have some information regarding the beastmen war," stated Sarah.

"Really?" Sadda said, studying the two warriors for a moment. "Well, what is it, boys?"

The two looked at each other before the Templar spoke: "We're going to assume that you know what Her Majesty knows, that this is a war of prejudice."

His audience nodded but said nothing.

"That is not entirely untrue," said the Templar. "The beastmen fight you because of the prejudices. However, it goes much deeper than that."

"There are two gods," started the Warrior. "Cosmos and Chaos, who held a delicate balance. However, Chaos betrayed Cosmos and started the war. He has several men, generals, who command creatures like Astos. They incited the beastmen to rise against you and the neighboring countries."

"The miasma cloud," said the Templar, cutting in. "Is created by corrupting Crystals, which protect the regions they're in. Astos has not found the Crystal of Cornelia, apparently."

"How do you know all of this?" asked Sadda.

"Cosmos, very recently, has come under the threat of near death. Myself and my companions have been asleep for an unknown amount of time. She awakened us to help defend her," said the Templar.

"One of Chaos's generals, Garland-" started the Warrior, but the reaction he got stopped him. The Princess shot to her feet and slammed her palms on the desk.

"Did you say Garland?" she shouted. The others looked as equally shocked as Sarah sounded. The Warrior and the Templar looked at each other.

"You know the man?" the Templar asked them. Biggs responded, sounding horrified.

"Garland was a knight of Cornelia. He- he's the man who… assassinated the King," he told them.

"What did he look like?" Sarah demanded.

"He was in full plate armor," the Templar answered. The princess stood against the desk, looking shell shocked. Lukahn laid a hand on her shoulder and the princess slowly sank into her chair.

After a minute, she spoke quietly: "Continue."

"Very well," said the Warrior. "Garland came to kill Cosmos. We fought and repelled him."

"Is he alive?" spoke Matoya for the first time since arriving.

"Yes, he escaped," answered the Templar. A grim look crossed the woman's face.

"Cosmos told us about how Chaos's forces operate," said the Templar. "And we, as a group, decided to find a way to fight back."

"What exactly do you want to us to do about this?" asked Lukahn.

"Preferably, and ideally, we would like you help us in this," the Templar started. He raised his hand to silence any objections. "Realistically, we understand if you decide to stay out of this."

It was a ploy, naturally. The Templar looked on as a multitude of emotions crossed the faces of the elders.

"What would be your first order of business if-" started Sadda, but he paused in thought. "In either case?"

"We attack Astos's fortress," said the Templar. Sadda raised an eyebrow.

"Even if we refuse to help?"

The two men looked at each other. "Yes," said the Warrior.

"Are you sure?" asked Sadda

"Yes."

"Even if you know that Astos has a small army of mages and warriors?" he asked again.

"Listen, we attack Astos whether you stand with us or against us," said the Templar.

"We'll do it," said a voice. They all looked down at the princess. She had recovered from whatever emotional shock she had suffered, looking determined.

"Princess-" Sadda started but she silenced him.

"No," she announced. "If Garland is a part of this enemy force, we must fight against him. We'll help you anyway we can. What do you need?"

* * *

><p>All reviews appreciated.<p> 


	7. War and Tea

War and Tea

"What do you need?"

The eight people in the study stood silently for a minute after the Princess's announcement. She looked around at the group, a determined look on her face.

"Well?" she prompted. The Templar reacted first.

"First, we would wish to recall our allies," he said. She nodded and turned to Biggs.

"Captain," she started. "Please send for them."

The man nodded and strode out the room. Sadda stepped forward, looking grim.

"Are you sure about this, your Majesty?" he asked the princess.

"Yes, I am," she assured him. "What else?" she asked the two warriors.

"Soldiers and supplies," said the Warrior. "And the details of your defenses. A comprehensive map of the lands would be useful as well."

"And whatever information about Astos, his forces and his fortress you have," said the Templar.

"Ah!" Doctor Unne shouted. The man had remained quiet throughout the discussion. "I can assist with that."

The Princess rose from her seat. "Very well. I shall escort you, Sir Caleb, to the war room. I suppose Dr. Unne can take you," she nodded to the Templar, "to the library." Unne nodded.

"Do any of you," she said, looking at the three elders, "have anything further to add?"

Sadda and Matoya shook their heads. Lukahn looked thoughtful. "No," the old man said. "But I'd like to accompany you."

"Then let's go."

* * *

><p>"So doctor, what exactly would you know about Astos?" asked the Templar. The bookish man had led him to the castle library.<p>

The man smiled sheepishly. "No more than what anybody else could. He's the leader of the dark elves and he's prejudiced against humans."

"Then what could you tell me?"

"Ah," said the main. "You asked about his base. That I can help you with."

The Templar watched him as he stepped to a tall bookshelf and scanned it. "I'm a historian," said Unne. "The tower that serves as Astos's base, a place called the Tower of Eureka, has been around for some thousand years or so before he took it over."

He finally found the book he was searching for. "An archeologist colleague of mine wrote this book. It has a lot of details about the structure and things, but more importantly, this."

He handed the open book to the Templar. It took him several moments to figure out what he was looking at.

"A map to the tower?" he asked. The doctor nodded fervently.

"Yes," he affirmed. "Well, a map of the only three accessible floors."

"And this is accurate?" asked the Templar.

The man nodded again. "Oh, yes. Provided Astos hasn't figured out how to open up the other floors."

"Yes, of course."

* * *

><p>Sarah strode swiftly down the hall, much less tense this time, as she led the man, Caleb, down to the war room. Lukahn quietly walked behind the two.<p>

"So," Sarah said conversationally, observing Caleb out of the corner of her eye. "What is it you plan on looking into?"

"Numbers. Supplies, resources and soldiers," he answered. "Also, locations. Where Astos's fortress is and what the best way to attack it would be."

A nervous feeling washed over Sarah. "When you say supplies, do you mean food?" she asked.

Caled shook his head. "Weapons, and medical supplies, for the most part. We are going on a war campaign, so sleeping supplies for the troops. And if Astos's fortress is closer than the northern peaks, it can be walked in three or four hours."

"On a clear day you can see his base from the highest point on the castle," Lukahn cut in.

"How long will the attack take?" asked Sarah, silently calculating to herself.

"If we make it without delay, several hours."

Sarah furrowed her eyebrows. "And if your plans are compromised?"

"Several hours."

"You plan a surprise attack, then?" asked Lukahn, cutting in again.

"Yes."

"Well," said Sarah suddenly. "We can plan in depth more now. We've arrived at my war room."

* * *

><p>The war room was a large round room with a table and chairs in the center and several tables around the perimeter, with big maps running along the walls.<p>

When the Scout entered, he saw a variety of things: the Warrior standing by a table, fervently considering a small, leather bound book; the Templar laying maps on the center table; the Princess speaking with an old man in a corner shooting glances around occasionally; the Magus seated, pouring over a pile of papers. _Huh, _the Scout thought._ And I thought I would be the first to get back. _The Templar looked up and grinned.

"Good timing," he said. "We can start."

"What about the others?" the Scout asked.

"They showed up, but elected not to stay. Said they wouldn't be of much help," said the Templar.

"So, what will we be doing?" asked the Scout

"Attacking the enemy base," The Templar replied.

"I gathered that," the Scout said. "What will we be doing here?"

The Templar looked around. "Truthfully," he said. "Not much. Running over numbers and maps. These here," he pushed a stack of maps towards the Scout, "are maps of the enemy base and where it's at."

The Scout picked up the papers and flipped through them for a few minutes, before laying them back down.

"These will be useful," he stated, "but I'd rather scout it out."

The Templar grinned again. "We figured. As soon as the Captain returns, we're going to research our manpower."

"What's he doing, then?" asked the Scout, nodding towards the Warrior. The Templar grinned a third time.

"Calculating," was all he said. The Scout raised his brows in confusion.

The swinging of a door announced the arrival of the young captain. The Warrior looked up and the small book he was reading vanished somewhere on his person.

"Captain Biggs," the Warrior called. "I have a request."

The man looked confused. "Ah, yeah?"

"I need you to brief me on the available military forces," requested the Warriors.

"Right, right," Biggs said. "What do you need?"

"How many soldiers are available?"

"Uh, complex question," started Biggs. "We have a total of about five hundred fightin' men. But only a hundred remain from our original army. The rest are volunteers."

"How many men can you equip adequately for battle?" asked the Warrior. Biggs looked thoughtful for several minutes.

"Maybe…" Biggs started, "a hundred and fifty to a hundred and ninety."

"How do you equip five hundred men on that little?" asked the Scout. Biggs shrugged.

"With anything and everything that can be used as a weapon. Farming tools, lumber, anything."

The Warrior spoke again: "How many castle guards are their?"

"About thirty," said Biggs. "Counting me."

"Are they well trained?"

"We have to be, 'cause we protect the Royal Family."

The Warrior nodded thoughtfully, and considered the things he heard for several long moments.

"Are there any more people besides volunteers who can fight?" asked the Templar. Biggs thought for a second, before shaking his head.

"I, ah, don't think so…" he said. The old man the Scout saw, who was Lukahn, spoke out.

"Actually," he said. "There might be those elf refugees." Realization washed over Biggs face and he grimaced.

"I forgot about those guys," he mumbled. "Yeah, there are maybe fifteen, twenty elf warriors."

"Will they fight?" asked the Templar. Lukahn nodded.

"They have no home anymore, thanks to Astos. They'll jump at the opportunity to fight," said the sagely old man.

"That would be almost a hundred and fifty trained soldiers fully armed and ready to march," concluded the Warrior.

"The elves already have their equipment," added Lukahn. "So you could probably get around two hundred soldiers, if you're willing to use some volunteers."

The Warrior nodded to him in acknowledgement. Biggs had a contemplative expression on his face.

"Of those numbers," he started. "That includes the Royal Guard, right?"

The Warrior nodded to him. Biggs grimaced and shook his head. "We can't leave the Royal Family unprotected."

"Captain Biggs," interrupted Princess Sarah. "I would rather you and the Guard go help and use the volunteers as my temporary guard."

Biggs opened his mouth to object, but Lukahn stopped him. "Boy, you are the closest thing to a general our forces have. You have to go and help. The men won't follow a strange general, no matter how well meaning."

"Also," added the Templar. "The attack should take no more than ten hours. Certainly the Guard can be spared for one night."

Biggs looked conflicted for several moments afterward. He nodded slowly. "Fine," said. "I suppose we can go."

The Warrior nodded in thanks. "Please find out if the elves are willing and how many their number."

"One more thing," said the Scout. "You have anything I could use to run reconnaissance on the enemy base?"

* * *

><p>The Templar, Biggs, the Warrior and Princess Sarah walked down a castle hallway towards where the elves resided.<p>

"There in this room," said Sara, gesturing towards a door. Biggs moved to open the door, but the Templar laid a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Hold a moment, Captain, your Majesty," said the Templar. "I believe it best if we remain anonymous."

"Are you sure?" asked the Princess.

"Yes," he assured. "Remember to ask the elves about red magic."

"Is that everything?" she asked. The Templar nodded.

"We shall return to the war room," stated the Warrior.

"Oh, hold a moment," said Sarah. She turned to Biggs. "I think you, Captain, can handle this just fine."

The man nodded and stepped for the door. Sarah turned back to the Warrior.

"A word, Sir Caleb, please?" she asked him, to which he nodded. The Templar walked down the hall and rounded the corner.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" he inquired.

"Would you like to join me for tea in my office this evening?" she asked him. He blinked.

"I suppose," he answered, confused but not showing it. "When?"

"Later this evening, of course," she said. "We can finish the important business first."

"Very well, tonight," he said. She smiled.

"I have something to attend to. I shall see you later," she said and walked off.

He continued back to the war room. He rounded the corner and almost ran into the Templar, who was standing there.

The elf grinned at him. "A date with the Princess, eh friend?"

The Warrior stared at him flatly before walking around him and down the hall.

* * *

><p>Lukahn sat in his room, leaning in a comfortable chair, reading a book when Sarah entered his room, uninvited.<p>

"Oh, no, please come in," said Lukahn. Sarah ignored him. She started pacing the room around him.

"Lukahn," she said after a while. He waited for her to say something further. When she said nothing for a few more minutes, he responded.

"Yes, Sarah?" he asked. She didn't reply for a while.

"What am I doing?" she asked at length. He blinked.

"Pacing my room?"

"No," she shook her head. "What have I done? I handed my trust over to people who I know nothing about."

"Well," Lukahn started, but stopped to think for a minute. "You might not have noticed, but you're stressed from taking the reins of your kingdom suddenly. And that has made you desperate."

"What are you saying, exactly?" she asked the sage. He set his book aside and clasped his hands.

"I'm saying you made a decision in desperation," he explained. "But don't worry too much," he said quickly, seeing the look of horror cross her face. "They claimed to be guardians of the Goddess, and they say they fought Garland."

She mulled over what he said for a few moments. After a minute, he observed, an appeased look settled on her features, before she froze. He frowned.

"Princess?" he asked her, concerned. She stood there a second before a suspicious and confused look crossed her face.

"You said 'the goddess'," she stated quietly. "I've never heard about those two gods before they spoke of them. Do you know something I don't, Lukahn?"

He stared at her, before leaning back, clasping his hands and growing very quiet.

"Lukahn?" she asked him tentatively. He was quiet for many minutes longer.

"Do you remember Cid?" he asked, quietly. She cocked her head in confusion.

"Cid of the Lufaine, you mean?" she asked him. He nodded. "N- not really. I've heard of him, but I never met him. Why?"

"Many years ago, before you were born, Cid approached me to discuss something he was working on. We were only limited acquaintances, so it surprised me that he did," said Lukahn. "He told me that he was working, preparing something for that very Goddess, Cosmos."

"What was it?" Sarah asked him, riveted to the conversation. He shook his head.

"He never clarified," the man said. "But he said that it was very important. If my suspicions are correct, what he was working on was, perhaps, teaching or prepaing those six to be servants of Cosmos."

"So they're telling the truth," Sarah concluded. Lukahn shrugged.

"Maybe," he stated. "I suggest you speak with one of them about this."

"Well, I'm having tea with Caleb this evening," Sarah said. Lukahn did a double take.

"Wait, really?"

* * *

><p>When the Warrior returned to the war room, it was empty save for the Magus, who was leaned back in a chair.<p>

"I thought you'd forgotten about me," the man said. He waved a bundle of papers. "I've finished."

The Warrior took the papers and started to read them. "You're welcome," said the Magus. "I wrote it up for a maximum of two hundred men and I cut back on food usage as much as I could, like you asked. All we need now is the princess to say 'yay' or 'nay'."

"He can present them to the princess later, when he has his date with her," said the Templar. The Magus raised his brows.

"She invited you to on a date?" he asked, decidedly confused. He shot a questioning look at the Warrior, who ignored both of them in favor of reading the papers.

After several more minutes, he set the papers down. After a minute of continued silence, the Magus spoke.

"Well?" he asked the Warrior. "Anything to say?"

"I am pleased," replied the Warrior. "Let us get a servant to deliver it to Princess Sarah."

"Couldn't you deliver it tonight?" asked the Templar. The Warrior shook his head.

"The sooner the better."

"Right," said the Magus, walking over and gathering the papers. "I'll find somebody."

"Where's the Scout?" asked the Templar.

The Magus shrugged. "Said he wanted to get an early start on the scouting mission. He took the Monk with him. Said the sooner they get back, the sooner we carry out this attack."

* * *

><p>Several hours and a sparse dinner later, the Warrior walked calmly towards the Princess's Office. He was not quite sure why he agreed, but it was most likely because he had no reason to say no. He turned down the hallway that led to his destination.<p>

The Templar, it seemed, had found something incredibly funny about this appointment with the Princess, for he had repeatedly brought it up throughout the day, until he had departed for the Princess's Office.

At dinner, he had eaten with the remainder of his allies, where he had learned that both the Scout and the Monk had already left on the scouting mission.

He stepped to the door and gently rapped on it. After a minute he heard her voice, calling him in.

He opened the door and walked in. It took him a minute to find the princess. She was seated at a small table situated behind the desk, near a fireplace, none of which he noticed when he was here earlier.

"Welcome," she greeted as he approached, and he bowed expertly. She waved him off.

"No need," she said. "Please sit down," and she gestured to the seat across the table.

He sat down and finally noticed the maid who stood by the table, head bowed.

"What kind of tea would you like?" Sarah asked him.

"I have no preference," he replied. She nodded and turned to the maid and requested something. The maid bowed and departed.

"So, Sir Caleb, I've read the papers you wrote up," she started. "Very precise. I'm impressed."

The Warrior nodded. "You should thank the Magus for them. It would seem he is good with numbers."

She nodded. "I noticed you don't use names when addressing each other," she noted. "Is there a reason?"

"When we awoke in Cosmos's shrine, none of us could remember our names," he told her. She considered what he said for a moment.

"Then where did 'Caleb' come from?"

"When we entered the city, the Templar invented the name for registry."

"So it's an alias?" she asked, to which he nodded. "Do you prefer to be called anything else, then?"

He shook his head. "You may refer to me as whatever you desire. Caleb is fine, as is the Warrior."

"That's your title, then?" He nodded in answer. "I like Caleb just fine," she decided. There were several minutes of uncomfortable silence. Or rather, uncomfortable for the princess.

"So," she started again, "why exactly did you decide to come here and volunteer to fight?"

He replied after a minute: "In many ways," he began, "it is a battle of necessity. We won our encounter with Garland to protect Cosmos, but he escaped. He will no doubt return with more troops, repeatedly, until we fall. And if we eventually kill him, other generals of Chaos's will come to fight."

"It's an inevitable defeat," Sarah concluded, and he nodded.

"And if we decided to not fight, Cosmos would still die and we would not have helped anything. So, as a group, we decided to come here and find a way to repel the miasma that Chaos uses to oppress and control the lands."

Sara seemed to think on his words. "You said 'in many ways'. What are your other reasons?"

"You ration your city's food, even the food for the Royal Family. Why do you do it?" he asked, instead of answering her question. She looked startled for a moment.

"We are under the threat of war and we lack the ability to produce a lot of food. It's the right thing to do."

He looked pleased, despite not actually changing the expression on his face.

"I agree with you. It is the right thing to do," he stated simply.

"Oh," she realized. She mulled on it in silence, and eventually nodded. The maid reappeared, carrying a tray of tea.

After she poured their tea and left, the Warrior spoke again. "I find it commendable that you would make such sacrifices for your people."

"Thank you," she replied, looking flustered. He leaned back and observed the room. After a minute she followed his gaze and spoke.

"It's mostly law and history books about Cornelia in here," she stated.

"Not that many laws," he stated. She smiled.

"Well," she said and gestured to the bookshelves behind her, "this entire wall and all but the last five bookcases behind you are law books. That's only a portion. And of those remaining five shelves, four are on Cornelian history. The last is dedicated to whatever things the ruling monarch wants to put there."

He rose and walked to the books and inspected them. A variety of novels, history books and scrolls sat in a disorderly fashion. On the bottom shelves several notebooks and scrolls sat in a pile.

"Oh, those," said Sarah, walking over. "Those are the extensive plans to an agricultural reform my father worked on."

"Are they finished?" he asked, picking up a scroll and looking through it. He did not really bother read it, for it was apparently far into the plan, but he noticed something fascinating immediately.

"This is your handwriting," he stated, startling the Princess.

"What? How do you know that?"

"I saw your handwriting in the war room. This matches it."

"You memorized my handwriting?" she asked him, rather startled.

"Of course."

"R-right," she said, uncertain and confused.

She decided to move on. "Anyway, I have something to say."

He turned to her and raised an eyebrow.

"I've had some serious doubts about my decision to trust you, but I believe, hope, now, that you are trustworthy," she told him, and she thought he looked surprised at that. "And if your plan carries out successfully and you don't betray me, I'll happily assist you in whatever future conquests you wish to do."

He raised his eyebrow again. "That is a big promise," he stated. "But thank you." She smiled at him.

"I suppose it's getting late," she realized.

He nodded. "I shall retire, then." He bowed again and left.

* * *

><p>Almost a half hour later, Princess Sarah sat at her desk, reviewing the evening, pleased with herself. A thought came to her. She dug into her desk drawer and fished out a hand mirror. She started into it and tried to raise only one of her eyebrows, like Caleb had done several times. When she failed, she tried the other. After several failures, she tossed her mirror on her desk.<p>

_Never mind_.

* * *

><p>All reviews appreciated.<p> 


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